Film Review: THE 355 (2022): Entertaining Spy Movie Needs Stronger Plot Development

The 355 Review

The 355 (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Simon Kinberg and starring Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, Bingbing Fan, Jason Flemyng, Pablo Scola, Marcello Cruz, Sebastian Capitan Viveros, Edgar Ramirez, Leo Staar, Sebastian Stan, John Douglas Thompson, Sylvester Groth, Jason Wong and Raphael Acloque.

The 355 is a lot of fun to watch from beginning to end but there’s simply not enough substance to the film’s story line. There’s little more than a basic outline for a plot here and it’s up to the terrific actresses assembled to just go with the flow and entertain us with their gorgeous looks and charming personalities. However, more is required of a passable action film than what we get here. As directed by Simon Kinberg, all the ingredients are there for a fast-paced blockbuster action film except the requisite plot development. There are some solid action sequences but never one that really “blows us away,” unfortunately. Still, there is some fun to be had here.

I hate seeing a mediocre film released this time of year with performers who are awaiting potential Oscar nominations for their recent work. We have two of them in this film. Jessica Chastain and Penelope Cruz would be front runners for Best Actress for their performances in The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Parallel Mothers, but one gets nervous while watching the new film, The 355, that these two wonderful actresses will be judged for their performances in the recent film more than for their Oscar caliber work of last year. However, these two stars’ roles in The 355, are performed fairly well as opposed to say Eddie Murphy who blew an Oscar win for Dreamgirls with Norbit or Anne Hathaway who jinxed herself by appearing in Bride Wars shortly after her great turn in Rachel Getting Married. January movies will always be there showing us mostly unremarkable work but as far as The 355 is concerned, I only hope that Jessica Chastain and Penelope Cruz can emerge from it unscathed and get their Oscar nods next month. They deserve those nominations.

Chastain appears in the long-delayed movie, The 355, as Mace who is a CIA operative who in the film’s early exciting sequence chases the German operative Marie (Diane Kruger) down a train station and on to the platform as the two characters face off for a bag. I won’t tell you what’s in the bag. Enter hacker Khadijah (the terrific Lupita Nyong’o) who joins the film trying to help Mace. There’s also Dr. Graciela Rivera (Cruz), a psychologist who ends up also having a pivotal role in the movie’s development. These four women, despite their differences, become a group which ends up working together to stop some evil goons. Among these baddies is Sebastian Stan’s character, Nick, who double crosses Mace. Stan’s Nick is simply the best villain in the film and the audience can’t wait to see him get his just desserts.

There are a number of problems with the new picture but to focus in on them too much would be silly. For example, why mention the great outfits Chastain dons throughout the film which are totally illogical but beautiful to look at? This film is not concerned with being an authentic movie as it just wants to entertain the audience and, on that account, it sometimes works rather well. Another problem is Jason Flemyng as a mercenary named Elijah Clarke who is so relentless that he ultimately becomes cartoonish but, again, the movie really isn’t trying to win points for gritty realism. It just wants its audience to have fun. But, still, the plot needed more substance to maintain audience interest especially considering that it runs over two hours long with its ending credits included.

Cruz is especially good here as a family woman who is in over her head, but Chastain really steals the show from everyone else and she’s more than welcome to since she is the star. Chastain looks great in every scene and that may also be one of the movie’s shortcomings. Thrown into the film is the character of Lin Mi Sheng (the decent Bingbing Fan who also goes by the name Fan Bingbing) who is more or less the one that teaches every one of the female heroines here the importance of working together to save civilization as we know it. The whole female cast works extremely well together even if the plot works against them with its lack of substance.

A film like The 355 is certainly welcome in a marketplace where you can only find entertaining action in the new Spider-Man movie but it’s not a film that was ready for the big budget action treatment because of its underdeveloped plot. Yes, the audience gets their twists and turns along the way, but more of them were needed to truly recommend the picture. However, if you want to see great looking, strong female characters on screen, don’t let me stop you from buying a ticket. It’s a joyride that has its moments here and there for sure. Chastain and Cruz still deserve their Oscar nods for their winning turns from last year and let’s hope they get those nominations!

Rating: 6/10

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