Cillian Murphy’s 2019 spy thrillerAnnareceives a middling accuracy score from expert Naveed Jamali. Directed by Luc Besson, known forLéon: The ProfessionalandThe Fifth Element, the movie followed Anna Poliatova (Sasha Luss), an undercover assassin for the Russian government who becomes a double agent. Along with Luss and Murphy,the cast ofAnnaincluded Luke Evans, Lera Abova, Alexander Petrov, and Helen Mirren. Upon release, the film generated $31.6 millionand, and while reactions have varied among audiences, it’s managed to perform well on streaming.
In a recent video fromInsider, Jamali, who was a double agent working for the FBI while pretending to help Russian intelligence, looked at the accuracy ofAnna. Watching a scene in which Leonard Miller (Murphy) talks Anna into helping the CIA, Jamali explained how some of that arrangement, and Anna’s approach, were realistic, however, he explained that Leonard wouldn’t have the authority to send her somewhere. He then rated the movie a five out of 10, noting,“There’s just so much there that’s overly dramatic.”Check out Jamali’s comments and the video below, at around the 11:30 mark:
Everything. Everything is a negotiation. I negotiated with the FBI. I negotiated with the Russians. So, in so far as Anna sort of pushing back, that’s completely believable, right? You don’t want to just say, “Sure,” because then they’re going to say, “Why is she doing this so easily?”
There’s no way that he had approval that he’s going to relocate her to Hawaii. This is, as you can imagine, a lot of paperwork. A lot of people have to sign off on it. So you would never, ever say that if you hadn’t already gotten approval.
What The Accuracy Score Means For Anna
It Does Not Get Counterintelligence Completely Right
Annahas several plot twists, including when Leonard and the CIA sabotage an assassination attempt on Frederick Wurtenberg. Presumably a botched mission, it was revealed that Anna had been surveilled and eventually confronted about being a Russian spy. However, as Jamali mentioned in the video, she does not comply with Leonard and bargains her way into becoming a double agent, seeking to leave the KGB and get transplanted to Hawaii. Drawing on his own experience though,Jamali explained that agencies typically have “parameters” for creating deals.
Throughout the film, Anna desired to leave Moscow and presented growing frustration over her assignments.
Once Anna began assisting Leonard, the movie focused more on counterintelligence and the dangers of being a double agent. She murders Vassiliev and crosses Alex Tchenkov (Evans), while obtaining information on both parties she was working for. By the end, instead of going to them separately, Anna meets with Leonard and Alex together, making the CIA and KGB aware of her involvement,then stages her own death, giving herself a chance to become independent.
Our Take On The Accuracy Of Anna
Despite Its Flaws, There Is A Thrilling Story
It is interesting to hear about what goes into becoming a double agent, and the type of agreement that has to be made between those involved. While Jamali reveals that some of Leonard and Anna’s conversation was “dramatic,” the film still has a thrilling story, full of memorable action. For a spy movie,Annamay be less than accurate, but it attempts to explore the chain of events leading up to and surrounding Anna’s work, and shows, at least partially, how that could affect someone in her position.
Anna
Cast
Anna is a thriller directed by Luc Besson and released in 2019. The film follows the titular Anna, portrayed by Sasha Luss, a highly skilled assassin. Following a life of domestic abuse, Anna is given an out when the KGB scouts and recruits her for five years of service, after which she can start her life over. However, her new handler has different plans for Anna, forcing her to plan her escape from the agency.
