★★★★☆

Archangel leaves little doubt why Daniel Craig was chosen to play 007. This is a gritty low-budget spy thriller actually filmed in Russia.

Yekaterina Rednikova is an actress whom I wish got more English speaking roles. She speaks it like a native. The girl can really act! For most of her early scenes she has a very stoic Russian expression. Then there is one scene where she asks Daniel Craig.

“You ever have to pay for it?”

“Once, when I was 16. Had to lose my virginity. It was weighing me down.”

She smiled. Laughed lightly. It was like a stunt double replaced her on screen.

Archangel plot and content

The trouble with spy movies, at least the really good ones, is you can’t really describe the plot without giving too much away. Daniel Craig plays a somewhat disgraced professor of Russian history and he gets wind of a diary/notebook, that if real could bring him all of the academic glory he seeks. They spend the first part of the movie trying to find it and the last part trying to stay alive.

You have to really pay attention to Zinaida (the character played by Yekaterina Rednikova). She’s not just there for eye candy. As long as you know that you know more than I did when I rented this movie. Keep in mind I gave it four stars coming in cold.

Don’t worry about the language

There are only a few scenes, mostly early on, that are in Russian and have sub-titles. The rest of the movie is English.

For more movie rental ideas please see list one and list two.