Anna

I'm not sure how many times French Writer/Director Luc Besson can keep making different variations of the same theme, but as long as they are as entertaining as ANNA, I'm not sure I mind.

Riffing on 1990's "Le Femme Nikita" and 2014's "Lucy", Besson delivers a time hopping, intriguing thriller about Anna, a stunning fashion model/assassin with a very special set of skills.

As the fluid time frame makes your brain hurt with "six weeks ago" "5 years ago", "4 weeks later" title cards, we watch Anna's most brutal missions, her recruitment and her training.

The film's structure elevates the story, with us often seeing a killing several times, with each view more informed than the last on what's really happening.

Newcomer Sasha Luss is stunning and lethal as Anna. With long, brutal fight scenes that reminded me of "Atomic Blonde" and "Kill Bill", the action is fast & furious and Luss delivers.

Helen Mirren is senior trainer Olga, the toughest boss in Moscow. Mirren's having fun being as far from glamorous as possible.

Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast) is Anna's Soviet trainer Alex and Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Inception) is a CIA boss who zeroes in on Anna in every way possible.

Just when you think you've had enough of the time shifts, ANNA saves its best tricks for its last 15 minutes.

Savaged by critics and buried with a low profile release after Besson was accused of misconduct on set, ANNA was a bomb in theatres.

It's a shame for Luss, who emerges as a formidable new female action hero.

Familiar but less than predictable, ANNA gets a B.