A few days before I came up to start my sophomore year at BC, my roommate and I went to see "American Ultra" (R), starring Jessie Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart and directed by Nima Nourizadeh. The film is equal parts action (Don’t go if you have a weak stomach... there is a ton of blood, even if it does not look entirely realistic), comedy, and romance. I’ll try not to give spoilers in this review, simply because I enjoyed the film enough to sincerely recommend it.
"American Ultra" is about Mike Howell (Eisenberg), a stoner who works at a convenience store and lives with his girlfriend, Phoebe (Stewart). It is soon revealed that Mike is prepared to propose to Phoebe, and is just waiting for the perfect moment. Their relatively content, stoner lives are completely unraveled, however, when Mike is “activated” by CIA agent Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton). Apparently, Mike is actually a sleeper agent designed and trained by the CIA. Now, however, the project that created him is being destroyed, meaning he is marked for death as well. Together, Mike and Phoebe have to fight their way through deadly government agents in the hopes of eventually returning to their cannabis-happy life.
Basically, your average stoner best friend is actually an action-hero here to save the day.
I loved the movie primarily because of the chemistry between Jessie Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart. The depth of their relationship, and the love and understanding between their characters, is made apparent very quickly in the film. It felt like a real romance, not just the type of side-plot which writers typically throw into a movie for a quick, hot sex scene. Side note: there is no sex or nudity in this film, with the exception of close-up shots of Phoebe’s face in Mike’s memory that are obviously derived from a carnal encounter.
No, this romance had real emotion behind it that had me hooked in the first ten minutes. I cared about the emotional scenes because the characters were so well developed, unlike "Trainwreck," which made me want to roll my eyes every time they tried and failed to make me cry. Mike and Phoebe had an entire range of emotions accessed throughout the film. Jessie Eisenberg’s character was humanized from the beginning, as the film describes his intense anxiety and simultaneous desire to overcome it for Phoebe’s sake. This is a nice change for Eisenberg, who usually plays characters who are incredibly intelligent assholes.
Kristen Stewart was also phenomenal, and here is my opportunity to take a K-Stew tangent. Some of my friends said they were not interested in seeing "American Ultra" merely because it starred Kristen. She is, of course, most famous for playing Bella Swan in the "Twilight" franchise, which most people despise her for. I’d argue that she did the best she could have with what she was given. Kristen has played so many more diverse roles, though! She has played a teenage rape victim ("Speak"), a terminally ill teenage girl – the role for which it is required of Kristen to walk raggedly, twitch when sitting, and speak with a slacked jaw – ("The Cake Eaters"), a teenage stripper ("Welcome to the Rileys"), Joan Jett ("The Runaways"), Marylou in the film-adaptation of the American classic "On the Road," Snow White ("Snow White and the Huntsman), and a member of the US military working at Guantanamo Bay ("Camp X-Ray"). Kristen was the first American actress to win the French Cesar award for her film "Clouds of Sils Maria" and has won 31 other awards throughout her acting career. She plays real people-characters, whereas other actors get more credit for playing larger-than-life roles. The way I see it, directors wouldn’t keep hiring her for such amazing roles if she sucked as much as people say.
Okay, so I love Kristen Stewart.
The reviews for "American Ultra" online were mediocre based on the opinion that the action plot was perhaps a bit far-fetched, which is a valid point. I thought, however, that the comedic and romantic elements of the film made up for whatever points were lost in that area.
Basically, I would argue that this movie works for whatever mood you’re in. If you really want to see blood fly and things blow up, watch "American Ultra". If you are in the mood for a good laugh, watch "American Ultra". If you want to see another unbelievably cute Eisenberg-Stewart romance after seeing "Adventureland," watch "American Ultra". The film is long but fast-paced, never letting you sigh and ask when it’s going to pick up again. It ups your adrenaline while pulling at your heartstrings at the same time. "American Ultra" is a thoroughly entertaining film, although it might not have satisfied the hardcore movie critics out there, and is great for a night out!
