This was better than I had expected from reading critics' reviews – but that doesn't mean that it's a very good film. In many ways it's a routine spy tale of who is double crossing whom, with views of a few European cities thrown in. The back story of the lead character's career as a ballerina cut short, and her ill mother, is really just padding and not interesting except insofar as the family background motivates her later actions in a particular way. The audience is also misled about her throughout the film. Various big name actors eg Jeremy Irons, do what are essentially cameos with accents. The grizzled American CIA man is a rather feeble character, making only a rudimentary show of suspicion before falling for his beautiful counterpart. Jennifer Lawrence naturally looks good at all times even after being savagely beaten etc etc, but physically is an unlikely ballerina. She certainly looks Slavic, and has the required hauteur for the role. ( )

Interesting twists and turns in this story of a ballerina, Dominika, who breaks her leg badly enough to be unable to continue as a ballerina who then is offered a job by her uncle, a job that will force her to work as basically a honey trap spy. The skills she has gained have made her a lethal weapon but it's not a life she really wants.

It's an interesting watch, there are times it felt a bit stretched out and there were some scenes in the deleted scenes extras that would have made the story make more sense to me.

Sometimes it was a bit tough to watch. ( )