This Spy Action-Thriller Gave Us One of Cillian Murphy's Steamiest Roles

The Big Picture

• Cillian Murphy excels in his role in Oppenheimer and Anna , showcasing his dynamic range and versatility in compelling performances.
• Anna follows the story of an assassin recruited by the KGB, with Murphy playing a CIA Agent involved in a steamy espionage love triangle.
• Murphy's limited screen time in Anna is impactful, showing his charm and swagger as he navigates a dangerous web of espionage and attraction.

Last awards season was all about Cillian Murphy. Longtime collaborator Christopher Nolan finally gave him a lead role in Oppenheimer which led to them both taking home Oscars for the first time in their illustrious careers. The dynamic and versatile Murphy is at his very best as he embodies the brilliant but emotionally troubled nuclear scientist who created the first atomic bombs that would be used to end World War II. Murphy's pre-Oppenheimer career is interesting to look at given how varied it is; and among the best of these roles is the provocative espionage thriller, Anna, which is currently trending on Netflix. Directed by acclaimed French filmmaker Luc Besson, Murphy is joined by a strong cast of Sasha Luss, Luke Evans, and Helen Mirren in a criminally underrated performance as Anna's handler, Olga. But it is Murphy's turn as CIA Agent Leonard "Lenny" Miller that really stands out in a film that boasts John Wick-esque action sequences, a taut tale of espionage, and a steamy love triangle among spies.

Anna (2019)

Beneath the stunning façade of a model lies a skilled operative working for the KGB, undertaking high-stakes missions across the globe. Her journey through the shadowy world of espionage reveals her struggle for personal freedom amidst the dangerous double life she leads.

What is 'Anna' About?

Set in 1990, just after the fall of communism and the Berlin Wall, Anna Poliatova (Luss) is scooped off the Moscow streets and recruited by Alexei Tchenkov (Evans) to work as an agent for the KGB. Using her abusive, drug-addled, and criminal background as leverage, he and KGB handler Olga (Mirren) can convince a suicidal Anna to work as an assassin for a term of five years, upon which she will be released and allowed to live her life in freedom. During this time, she works under the guise of being a high-end fashion model in Paris, using her physical beauty and allure to get close to the people she is supposed to kill.

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She has a knack for the job, forming a successful and prolific team with Olga. However, the CIA is also keeping tabs on Anna's meteoric rise through the ranks. Murphy's Agent Miller intercepts her during a mission and forces her to become a double agent, providing information for the CIA. Miller also makes her a deal, offering her a new life in Hawaii if she performs one final task: kill the current head of the KGB, Vassiliev (Eric Gordon). Miller and the CIA would prefer a successor more willing to work with the United States, and Anna wants to kill him because he won't guarantee her freedom after five years of service. Anna is torn, but both governments underestimate her determination to achieve a life of her own.

Cillian Murphy and Sasha Luss Have Steamy Chemistry in 'Anna'

Cillian Murphy's undeniable charm and cavalier attitude complements Sasha Luss's on-screen presence and sexuality. Agent Miller is brash and assertive in a complete heel turn away from the fastidious and meticulous physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. Even though he doesn't do any heavy lifting on the screen until the film's latter half, he makes his mark with an undeniable sizzle across the table from Anna in an early interrogation scene. He's clearly attracted to her but afraid to show it at first. Her femme fatale nature and steely resolve will later draw Miller into the dangerous web she is weaving. While both Miller and Tchenkov believe that they have her under their thumb, Anna uses her intelligence in an international game of cat and mouse. Anna and Agent Miller are two-thirds of a salacious love triangle involving Tchenkov. Both men understand that she is a skilled assassin not to be trifled with, but they find her unique combination of toughness and allure difficult to resist. Both Miller and Tchenkov are willing to tiptoe on the precipice of inappropriate flirtatious and sexual advances, knowing that it may not end well for either. Seeing Miller trying to control Anna as a CIA agent while also jockeying for her affection is a unique character shift for Murphy, who plays it deftly.

Cillian Murphy Makes the Most of His Limited Screentime in 'Anna'

Murphy brings some of the swagger we saw much earlier in his career as the ruthless villain, Jackson Rippner, opposite Rachel McAdams in the high-octane 2005 thriller Red Eye. There is also a little bit of the mischievous Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders in the character of Miller. This time, he plays for the good guys (as much as a CIA spy can be considered a "good guy"). There are a handful of scenes where Murphy pops off the screen. He's cocky and doesn't expect to get derailed by Anna's blonde hair and blue eyes. Desperate to retain a handle on his bombshell of an agent, he's conflicted. He knows she's a killing machine but realizes it isn't in her nature to be an assassin, and she wants to live a peaceful life. Murphy shines in the scene where he and a team of CIA agents intercept her in the middle of a high-stakes assassination assignment. In a flashback sequence, the audience is brought in to Lenny and Anna bartering her deal to turn double agent in a hotel room after a faked grisly killing. Murphy recites a long dialogue that is so smooth that even Anna has to answer to him. He has a Bond-like clandestine quality to this character, which works marvelously. With just the right amount of business and pleasure, Murphy has never been better with limited screen time.

Anna is available to stream on Netflix

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