Charlie's Angels (2019)

This is the Charlie's Angels movie I've been waiting for. While the TV series was second wave 80s women empowerment, and the 2000s movies erred on the side of wink wink self-awareness, this film takes the concept of a female powered spy agency to where it really should be. Here we get bad ass female spies who get the job done. A smart funny script with just enough twists and turns to keep us on our toes, a talented cast who are fun and sexy without being reductionist, and a generally entertaining film that is a fun time at the movies.

The film does a little bit of feminist 101; women are told to smile, men take credit for their accomplishments, women can be and do anything they want, all that jazz. But the film takes the concepts here a lot further. The story actually works in a more sophisticated sort of gender analysis which plays into breaking down concepts of what femininity and being femme means, what sexy means, the differing approaches and methods men and women may use to obtain their objectives, and how gender plays into how we orient people, the assumptions we make of them, and our expectations. Writer/director/co-star Elizabeth has brought to her Charlie's Angels a perspective which was always missing from the series until now, a female gaze on female heroes. Wait until the end, there are revelations here which help to drive home this film's message. Also stay for all the cool cameos from Angels past... and maybe future.

Banks is a revelation here. Not only is she as magnetic and brilliant on screen as she always is, her direction is spot on, merging action and comedy with the sort of character development needed to take a film like this up a notch from standard forgettable action fare. So far she has focused on the mainstream films behind the camera. I am eager to see what she can do if she went with a more serious film.

So Charlie's Angels becomes a truly satisfying and entertaining film while being in your face. Not afraid to make the "lead" a lesbian, not afraid to play with the audience's misogyny enough to play with our expectations. And not afraid to make us see action heroes differently.

Charlie's Angels
Starring: Kristin Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska, Elizabeth Banks, Djimon Hounsou, Sam Clafin, Patrick Stewart, Noah Centineo, Luis Gerdardo Mendez, Chris Pang, Nat Faxon
Writer/Director: Elizabeth Banks