More often than not, addiction is an underlying current in the storyline of many movies and TV shows. Have you ever noticed? Not a person in recovery from addiction? Then, you may not appreciate the level of detail that goes into the acting that the addicted character plays. This action thriller featuring Jessica Chastain, lead actress in the new movie AVA on Amazon Prime, nails her performance as a woman afflicted with PTSD and addiction. John Malkovich plays Duke, Ava’s handler and father figure who helps her get sober.
From watching the trailer, we know that Ava is a deadly assassin who works for a black ops organization, traveling the globe specializing in high-profile hits. John Malkovich plays Duke, Ava’s father figure who helps her get sober. Geena Davis plays Ava’s detached mother, who has OCD. Additional characters are played by Common and Colin Farrell.
AVA – the movie trailer
Spoiler alert!
Before reading my review, I’m about to drop some details that you may want to experience for yourself. That said, I promise not to give away the ending.
The movie opens with Ava picking up a target from the airport. As she’s driving, things turn provocative when the target asks Ava if she’d like a drink. Pulling into a field, Ava says, “Oh, I wish I could. I said I’d love to have a drink. I have one sip of that, and someone’s going to jail or the ER.”
In that statement, Ava spoke my truth. If I have one sip, I will not be able to stop. Not until I run out, pass out, or blackout. Then, we roll into the movie’s opening credits with flashbacks of Ava’s character over the years. We see she’s been charged with possession of a controlled substance. Then she’s smiling and dancing as a child around a Christmas tree without a care in the world.
Accolades of awards were won to take over the screen, including Valedictorian, most likely to succeed, and most likely to throw a killer party. Addicts are, more often than not, over-achievers. In the next moment, we see a newspaper clipping of severe injuries and a DUI.
Ava checks into a hotel in her childhood hometown, wearing a Misfits t-shirt, changes clothes, and goes for a run. I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly she is running from. The assumption could be that this is how she trains and stays fit as a professional assassin. But from my perspective, her character is running to get away from something. And that something is her past.
There’s a scene when she returns from her run with the mini fridge in the hotel room. Opening the door to the well-stocked glass door mini-fridge, Ava takes in all of her options. There are various mini bottles of various spirits, sodas, and water bottles. She stares long and hard. This is an experience that I have had many, many times in all of my travels. How can she not stare? Her obsession is right there within arm’s reach, with no one around to know. Ava finally grabs a bottle of water and slams the door shut.
Sober Curator Pro Tip: Always watch a movie with subtitles on
I always watch a film with subtitles whenever it’s possible. In one of the following scenes, Ava goes to a bar where her estranged sister performs. Pay attention to the lyrics. It narrates how Ava’s sister, played by Jess Weixier, feels after being abandoned eight years prior. This sister storyline that unfolds is complex and filled with pain and fear.
Next, we listen to Ava share a story sitting in a circle of strangers in an AA meeting. She speaks her truth. People listen intently. No one seems shocked by her words. There is no judgment from the group as she bares her soul. When she is finished, the group acknowledges her share, and then the meeting moves on, and the next person shares. This has been similar to my experience with 12-step rooms. You can bare your soul and say things you might not say in the “real world,” and it’s ok. To be honest, it’s freeing. Although, at this point, Ava is not free.
Throughout the movie, Ava continues to be tempted by her demons. She’s also fighting to stay alive because there is a warrant out for her death. We see her struggle with her relationship with her mother, sister, and former boyfriend. And let’s not forget this action thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat.
How the movie rates
This isn’t Rotten Tomatoes or IMDb. I don’t professionally claim to know anything about writing movie reviews. I felt it was worth the rental fee. However, if I were to score this movie solely based on Jessica’s performance of Ava as an addict afflicted with her past demons, she would get 5 Sobees from me.
The Sobees Movie Score: 4 out of 5
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