Momentum

Intended to be the entry point in a series of films, Momentum, directorial debut of Stephen Campanelli, feels less like the start of something and more like the action-packed midpoint.

Alex Farraday (Olga Kurylenko) is a thief, and a good one, but following a bank heist she ends up with more than just the police to worry about. Along with some valuable diamonds, she and her crew steal a hard-drive with mysterious connections to a US Senator (Morgan Freeman). To get it back he sends in Mr Washington (James Purefoy) and what follows is a mishmash of gunfights, car chases and torture, accompanied by a ridiculously over-dramatic score.

The action begins immediately with little time for character development, and Alex is never shown to be anything more than a generic Action-Girl. It’s a pity, because she could be an astoundingly interesting character if not for the flimsy script leaving her so one-dimensional. Beside Olga, the acting is hit and miss: there are some awful performances but thankfully James Purefoy is not one of them. Traipsing through the film as a bored psychopath (a role he excels in), he provides twisted comedy to an otherwise bland film.

The final portion of the film is enjoyable and there is an undeniable chemistry between Purefoy and Kurylenko. Plot-hole-ridden as it is, Momentum is intriguing and, with more care and a little less time spent on gratuitous violence, it could have been the start of something interesting.

Natasha Furlong

Momentum is released nationwide on 20^th November 2015.

Watch the trailer for Momentum here: