History Film / Momentum

''Momentum'' can refer to the following Films:

''Agony'' can refer to the following Films:

* ''Film/Momentum2015'', an {{action|Genre}} filmdirected by Stephen Campinelli.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/momentum_poster_300x429_5.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''Momentum'' Poster]]

[[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3181776/ Momentum]] is a 2015 ActionGenre movie directed by [[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0132120 Stephen Campinelli]], filmed and largely set in Cape Town, [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica South Africa]].

Creator/OlgaKurylenko stars as Alex, a hi-tech thief with a Main/MysteriousPast who is persuaded by her partner Kevin Fuller to pull off Main/OneLastJob. When things go wrong and Kevin is murdered, Alex is forced into a deadly game of cat and mouse with an assassin known only as Mr. Washington ([[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0700856 James Purefoy]]).

Alex soon discovers the diamonds her crew stole were never the real objective. Instead Washington and his private hit squad are after a [[Main/{{MacGuffin}} data drive]] that contains incriminating evidence against a ruthless US Senator (Creator/MorganFreeman).

Wanted by the authorities and with few allies to call on, Alex's options are limited. Unfortunately for the bad guys, it seems she went to the same badass training academy as [[Film/{{Taken}} Bryan Mills]] and her "very particular set of skills" include martial arts, marksmanship and deception. [[Main/OneManArmy Not a woman to trifle with.]]

''Momentum'' was intended to be the first in a franchise, but its poor box office performance put those plans on indefinite hold.

No connection whatsoever to the [[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0316272/ 2003 TV Movie of the same name]] starring Louis Gossett Jr. and Creator/TeriHatcher.

----
!! ''Momentum'' contains examples of:

* ATeamFiring: Averted. In the chase sequences, Alex makes good use of cover and rarely gives her enemies a clear shot. And the bad guys function as a well-trained unit - most of the time.
* ActionGirl: Alex, naturally. After she takes down several well-trained hitmen with brutal efficiency, Mr. Washington correctly surmises she has a military or intelligence background. It turns out Alex is [[spoiler: a former CIA infiltration specialist who went into hiding six years ago following a mission gone wrong]].
* AxCrazy: Drugged up crew member Wayne, who goes all psycho during the bank robbery. First he threatens a little girl by pointing a gun in her face. Then he takes it out on a security guard who barely flinched, holds ''him'' at gunpoint and starts quoting DirtyHarry. Finally the nutter waves a GrenadeLauncher around just itching to [[TriggerHappy squeeze the trigger]]. Alex wisely decides to put a bullet in him.
* BadassDriver: Alex is skilled with vehicles too, ''reversing a car down a spiral ramp at high speed'' to escape the hotel's parking garage. Later on she "borrows" a motorcycle to pursue the hit squad.
* BaldOfEvil: Two of Mr. Washington's hit squad. The first is a [[KnifeNut knife-wielding thug]] who likes to rape female captives, and the second is a [[TheVoiceless nameless mute]] who handles torture equipment.
* BankRobbery: The opening sequence where Alex and her heavily-armed gang target a safety deposit box filled with diamonds (and a data drive their employers conveniently forgot to mention).
* BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame:
** While at the safehouse, Alex contacts Kevin's wife Penny to retrieve a false passport and cash. Mr. Washington acquires the phone and uses its redial function (and deceives the child who answers) to learn Penny's address while Alex watches helplessly. Alex later uses the redial function on a henchman's phone to locate Mr. Washington.
** Lampshaped during the [[spoiler: warehouse torture sequence]] when Alex destroys a phone after she's finished using it.
--> '''Alex:''' Hate that redial.
* BigBad: The unnamed US Senator, portrayed by veteran politician actor Creator/MorganFreeman. A throwaway line near the end hints he's running for President, but this is not confirmed directly.
* BlackmailBackfire: Quite spectacularly. Kevin and co-conspirator Jessica foolishly decide to blackmail the senator with secretly recorded sexual footage. We're talking about a ''US Presidential candidate who hires criminals to rob banks''. And [[TooDumbToLive the silly woman didn't even think to make a backup video]].
* BookEnds:
** The opening credits include a voice over by the BigBad.
--> '''The Senator:''' As powerful men always have, we're going to engineer an event to shape the destiny of our country. And you'll get your war, and I'll get my office. It's time we took this country back.
** During the final scenes, [[spoiler: the senator repeats these lines in a conversation with top military officials. This time, there are additional lines of dialogue that reveal his EvilPlan to cause large-scale damage in Chicago and start a war.]]
* BoomHeadshot: The fate of many people over the course of the movie.
** First to die is Kevin's blackmail partner Jessica, by Mr. Washington's hand.
** Henchmen [[spoiler: Mr. Jefferson]] and [[spoiler: Ms. Clinton]] go out like this. Plus [[spoiler: the unnamed bald thug who shows up for Alex's torture scene]].
* BorrowedBiometricBypass: The high security bank vault is protected by a biometric sensor and can only be opened by the manager. After he confesses he's the key, Alex's crew drag the wounded man along and force him to use it.
* {{Catfight}}: Subverted. Ms. Clinton is established as an Main/EvilCounterpart to Alex with ass-kicking abilities to match, leading the viewer to expect a confrontation, but [[spoiler: the two women never fight each other. Both get plenty of action, though.]]
* CeilingCling: Alex at the safehouse, when she hangs above Mr. Washington. Also includes the obligatory DroolHello moment where a drop of blood narrowly misses his head.
* ChekhovsGun: Several examples.
** During the heist, Alex uses a special tool to quickly punch in the lock of a safety deposit box. This device is later used by her to bust a door lock during the hotel escape sequence. [[spoiler: And to fatally wound an assassin.]]
** After the heist, Alex uses an explosive device to DestroyTheEvidence. Bombs come into play again [[spoiler: during the warehouse confrontation and the climatic airport sequence]]. Justified since Alex is really [[spoiler: former CIA operative Alexis Faraday, a multi-talented operative with demolitions training.]]
** The most subtle and significant is [[spoiler: Mr. Washington's tie, brought up by Alex during their first encounter at the hotel. She later uses it to conceal the data drive, and to trick the police into shooting him dead.]]
* CleanupCrew: Mr. Washington, Ms. Clinton and their cohorts are professional assassins ''and'' cleaners.
* ClosetShuffle: Kevin has Alex hide under the hotel room bed for his meeting with Jessica, arguing it would be awkward to explain her presence. This inadvertently saves Alex's life, as Mr. Washington's cleanup crew arrive soon after.
* CodeName: The senator's cleanup squad are named after [[UsefulNotes/ThePresidents former US Presidents]].
** Mr. Washington after inaugural President George Washington. Logically, since he's number one.
** Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Madison and Mr. Monroe after the third, fourth and fifth Presidents respectively.
** Ms. Clinton is either named after President Bill Clinton or UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton who seemed certain to be the first female to make it to the White House [[HarsherInHindsight but didn't]].
* CombatStilettos: Ms. Clinton does her deadly business in high-heeled shoes - which double as a torture tool.
* CripplingTheCompetition: Mr. Washington does this to Alex just prior to the climax. Realising just how badass his foe is, Washington [[spoiler: stabs her in the leg to prevent her running or fighting effectively. The wound leaves Alex physically crippled to the extent she's left limping during the finale. But she still has her wits intact, which [[XanatosSpeedChess she uses to glorious effect.]] ]]
* DarkActionGirl: Brutal henchwoman Ms. Clinton is a skilled combatant who [[CurbStompBattle effortlessly kickboxes Fuller to a pulp]] in a display of strength. In the climatic fight scene [[spoiler: at the airport, she defeats ''multiple'' police officers armed with truncheons and sidearms. And she starts the fight with ''no weapons of her own''.]]
* TheDeterminator: In the final confrontation, [[spoiler: Ms. Clinton survives a close range ''bomb explosion'' and [[NotQuiteDead quickly returns to the fray]]. The bloody-faced assassin overcomes multiple melee attackers until one airport security guard finally wises up and [[CombatPragmatist shoots her in the head.]] ]]
* DisposingOfABody: As one might expect, the cleaners are very skilled in this field. Also done by Alex when she torches the heist getaway vehicle with Wayne's body inside.
* DoubleMeaning: Kevin utters the phrase "Made in China" while being tortured by Ms. Clinton, referring to the bed in a list of things he hates. This is actually a covert hint to Alex about where he's hidden the data drive - taped behind a ''Made in China'' label under the bed.
* TheDragon:
** Mr. Washington to the senator. In terms of screen time and threat to Alex, he's arguably the [[Main/DragonInChief main villain]] of the movie despite taking orders from someone else.
** Moving down the villainous chain of command, Ms. Clinton could be considered one to Mr. Washington.
* DramaticUnmask: A rare heroic example early on. During a struggle with a psychotic crew member at the bank, the lead robber's mask comes off to reveal the previously unseen Alex.
* EmergencyStash: Kevin Fuller keeps a selection of false passports and cash hidden in a secret ceiling compartment. After his death, Alex enlists the services of his reluctant wife Penny.
* EvilBrit: Mr. Washington is played by Englishman James Purefoy, so naturally he wears a smart suit and sports a British accent.
* FakeoutEscape: Alex fakes her escape from the safehouse by opening a window. Occurs just prior to the CeilingCling.
* {{Fanservice}}: Fairly early on in the movie, Olga Kurylenko's character relaxes in a bathtub. Her bare legs are seen during the sequence that follows, and also [[spoiler: a later scene where she's held captive]].
* GeniusBruiser: The versatile Alex proves to be equally proficient in combat and spycraft.
* GenreSavvy: Mr. Washington displays this on several occasions.
** While being pursued through the hotel, Alex sends an elevator up empty whilst taking the stairwell down. Washington isn't fooled one bit, and even lampshades his savvyness.
--> '''Mr. Washington:''' She thinks she's being clever, but I've seen this in too many movies.
** When Alex hides out in a "safehouse" with a crew member, he determines [[Main/FamousLastWords the elevator is the only way in]] and prepares to ambush the intruders with his trusty shotgun. Instead, the assassins [[spoiler: crash through a window spec-ops style and promptly riddle him with bullets before he gets off a single shot]].
* GoryDiscretionShot: When Ms. Clinton skewers the helpless Kevin with her blade, the viewer is spared the gory details. Though his anguished cries suggest a world of pain, and even the badass Alex is left visibly shaken.
* GovernmentConspiracy: In the final scenes, it's revealed that the senator [[spoiler: is conspiring with top military officials to detonate a bomb in Chicago and engineer a PretextForWar.]]
* GroinAttack: During [[spoiler: the warehouse torture sequence]], Alex takes the opportunity to kick her tormentor in the genitals.
* ImprovisedWeapon: Occurs repeatedly during the confrontation at Penny Fuller's house.
** Alex uses a broken garden lamp as a makeshift pole.
** Alex disposes of one hitman by shoving a broken shard of glass into his stomach.
** While Alex tackles a second assassin, Penny Fuller rushes to her assistance with a ''toy truck''. It proves to be surprisingly effective at bashing in the guy's skull.
** Alex removes her lock buster tool from the first assassin's bloody chest. While the actual usage occurs off-screen, the implication is she tortured the guy to gain information.
* ItWorksBetterWithBullets:
** After the assassins murder Kevin, revenge-seeking Alex grabs a pistol from a discarded handbag and takes aim at Mr. Washington. It turns out the pre-loaded clip is empty and the ammunition is still in the handbag.
** Alex uses this to her advantage during the resulting chase sequence, escaping while henchman Mr. Monroe loads ''his'' weapon.
* LaserSight: Mr. Washington's crew use automatic weapons mounted with green laser beams during the safe house assault.
* LeaveNoWitnesses:
** After Alex's mask comes off during the bank heist, her crew members want to eliminate the hostages who've seen her face. As seen later on, Alex is prepared to [[GreyAndGrayMorality kill those who deserve it, but not innocent bystanders]].
** Mr. Washington's operating policy. He even yells the second part aloud when ordering his hit squad to eliminate Alex at the hotel.
* {{MacGuffin}}: The data drive - the ''real'' reason Alex and her crew were hired for the bank robbery. Its contents remain a mystery until the final scenes, when [[spoiler: Alex decrypts the contents with the assistance of a Main/TechnoWizard and discovers the senator's plan to destroy a building in the United States.]]
* MalevolentMaskedMen: The bank robbers wear all-black leathery outfits with hi-tech masks that incorporate dazzling lights, tinted goggles and voice disguisers.
* NoEscapeButDown: Alex escapes the hotel by using a steep laundry chute. Fortunately there is a basket of clothes at the end to break her fall.
* OneLastJob: A smart woman like Alex should know these ''never'' go according to plan. Lampshaded after things get messy.
--> '''Alex:''' (to Kevin) I should have never let you get me involved in this.
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: During the attack on Penny Fuller's house, the assassin Mr. Monroe pursues her son Matthew.
--> '''Mr. Monroe:''' You enjoy playing games?
--> '''Alex:''' (sneaks up behind him) I do.
* PreMortemOneLiner: Happens to the ''same'' hitman mentioned above, just before Alex stabs him.
--> '''Alex:''' (referring to Matthew) I don't want him to see this.
--> '''Mr. Monroe:''' What? Me killing you?
--> '''Alex:''' No, but you're in the right ball park.
* {{Sadist}}: Ms. Clinton clearly enjoys her work.
** The henchwoman takes her time beating up Fuller, forces him onto a bed, and digs her stiletto heels into his body. Then she stabs him so hard her blade ''passes through the mattress and frame''. She does this to the poor guy ''twice'', and the second time is fatal.
** While receiving instructions via phone, she's seen on a hotel rooftop with a powered circular saw.
--> '''Ms. Clinton''': (eagerly) I'm ready to dispose of the garbage.
** Later on she tortures [[spoiler: Alex with [[ElectricTorture electric shock treatment]] ]].
* SamusIsAGirl: While the movie's blurb telegraphs this, Alex's body armour, full face mask and voice disguiser effectively conceal her gender before the bank heist reveal.
* SequelHook: By the end of the movie Alex has [[spoiler: dealt with Mr. Washington and his cleanup squad, but the BigBad senator remains at large to carry out his plan. Alex is determined to stop him, though.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Alex:''' I've spent six years in the dark. It's ''time to come into the light''.]]
* SpyFiction: Of the DarkerAndEdgier, Bleach and Ammonia flavoured variety.
* TheToothHurts: The bank manager loses one during the ''very first'' post-credits scene when he gets punched in the face. And ''gets it forcibly reinserted'' when Alex realises it's required to pass the vault's biometric scan.
* TortureIsIneffective: Multiple examples.
** Subverted with the bank manager, who initially refuses to co-operate with the heist crew but eventually tires of being a human punching bag.
** Played straight with Kevin. Despite Ms. Clinton's best efforts, he refuses to give up the location of the data drive. This could be considered a HeroicSacrifice as doing so would have given away Alex as well.
** Later with Alex, [[spoiler: who holds out despite electroshock therapy and her leg being squeezed in a vice.]]
** [[spoiler: Alex ''appears'' to succumb to Mr. Washington's mind games when he brings up her failed CIA mission that resulted in the deaths of several innocent children. However, this turns out to be a ruse.]]
* UndercoverAsLovers: Alex and Kevin pretend to be husband and wife to fool a hotel security guard.
* VillainousBreakdown: Mr. Washington usually keeps his cool. But he finally loses it when his attempts [[spoiler: to torture Alex into submission at the warehouse]] don't work.
--> '''Mr. Washington''': (yells) Where is the data drive!?
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Unstable bank robber Wayne is shot and killed during the opening heist sequence. All his dialogue is spoken from behind a mask, and his face is only seen for one brief shot.
* WigDressAccent:
** During the opening heist sequence Alex is a blue-eyed redhead. After things go wrong, she dyes her hair black and uses green-tinted contact lenses to alter her apperance.
** Penny Fuller dons a wig for [[spoiler: her supporting role during the climax]].
* WithThisHerring: After escaping from the hotel, Alex pays a visit to crew member Raymond at his loft safehouse. She's hoping to arm herself for the upcoming fight, but things [[{{Understatement}} don't exactly go as planned]].
** First Alex has to convince Raymond to let her in. Her initial offer of ''ten thousand dollars just to open the door'' gets his attention, but he remains reluctant. Alex has more joy when she informs Raymond the cleanup squad after her [[{{Revenge}} killed his best friend Kevin]].
** Once inside the safehouse Alex expects to see a WallOfWeapons, but all Raymond has is a [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter single shotgun]] (which he keeps for himself).
** Alex asks Raymond for a laptop to examine the data drive, but it turns out he's HopelessWithTech and doesn't have a computer at all.
** Raymond ''does have'' a landline telephone. Realising its TimeForPlanB, Alex contacts Penny Fuller - Kevin's wife who she's hardly on speaking terms with - to retrieve her EmergencyStash. Unfortunately the bad guys raid the safehouse, make short work of Raymond, and find out Penny's address using the phone's redial function.
** So the only (negative) outcome of Alex's visit is a HostageForMacGuffin situation.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness:
** Nicely subverted by Mr. Washington who understands it's a good idea to keep as many underlings alive as possible when dealing with someone as dangerous as Alex. Even when she takes a hitman as a HumanShield, Washington refuses to ShootTheHostage.
** An anti-hero example occurs when Alex eliminates her dangerously psychotic crew member Wayne during the bank heist. Justified since he would have killed her otherwise.
* YouJustToldMe: Alex uses this method to track Mr. Washington. Guessing he's returned to the hotel, Alex calls him and says he'd better get out of there before the cops show up. Washington calls her bluff, saying she'd never contact the police. Then he realises he's just given away his location.

Wanted by the authorities and with few allies to call on, Alex's options are limited. Unfortunately for the bad guys, it seems she went to the same badass training academy as [[Film/{{Taken}} Bryan Mills]] and her own "particular set of skills" include martial arts, marksmanship and deception. [[Main/ActionGirl Not a woman to mess with.]]

* DarkActionGirl: Brutal henchwoman Ms. Clinton is a skilled combatant who [[CurbStompBattle effortlessly beats Fuller to a pulp]] in a display of strength. In the climax [[spoiler: at the airport, she defeats ''multiple'' police officers (armed with truncheons) ''whilst unarmed''.]]
* TheDeterminator: In the final confrontation, [[spoiler: Ms. Clinton survives a close range ''bomb explosion'' and [[NotQuiteDead quickly returns to the fray]]. The barely wounded assassin overcomes multiple melee attackers until one airport security guard finally wises up and [[CombatPragmatist shoots her in the head.]] ]]

* GoryDiscretionShot: When Ms. Clinton skewers the helpless Kevin with her blade, the viewer is spared the gory details. Though his anguished cries suggest a world of pain, and the badass Alex is left visibly shaken.

** Raymond ''does have'' a landline telephone. Realising its TimeForPlanB, Alex contacts Penny Fuller - Kevin's wife who she's hardly on speaking terms with - to retrieve her EmergencyStash. Unfortunately the bad guys raid the safehouse, make short work of Raymond, and find out about Penny using the phone's redial function.

--> '''Alex:''' (from behind him) I do.
A brutal beatdown follows.

* SpyFiction: Of the Bleach and Ammonia flavoured variety.

* GeniusBruiser: The versatile Alex proves to be equally proficient in combat and deception.

* ImprovisedWeapon: Three ''separate'' examples in one sequence.
** Alex disposes of one hitman by shoving a sharp piece of glass into his stomach.

** Alex removes her lock buster tool from an assassin's bloody chest. While the actual usage occurs off-screen, the implication is she tortured the guy to gain information.

** So the only result of Alex's visit is a HostageForMacGuffin situation.

* BlackmailBackfire: Quite spectacularly. Kevin and co-conspirator Jenny foolishly decide to blackmail the senator with secretly recorded sexual footage. We're talking about a ''US Presidential candidate who hires criminals to rob banks''. And [[TooDumbToLive the silly woman didn't even think to make a backup video]].

** The opening credits include a voice over from Creator/MorganFreeman.

** First to die is Kevin's blackmail partner Jenny, by Mr. Washington's hand.

* ClosetShuffle: Kevin has Alex hide under the hotel room bed for his meeting with Jenny, arguing it would be awkward to explain her presence. This inadvertently saves Alex's life, as Mr. Washington's cleanup crew arrive soon after.

* EmergencyStash: Kevin Fuller keeps a selection of false passports and cash hidden in a secret ceiling compartment. After his death, Alex enlists the services of his reluctant wife Jenny.

* GeniusBruiser: Alex proves to be proficient in both physical skills (combat and endurance) and mental skills (planning and deception).

* GovernmentConspiracy: In the final scenes, it's revealed that the senator [[spoiler: is conspiring with top military officials to engineer a PretextForWar.]]

** Raymond ''does have'' a landline telephone. Realising its TimeForPlanB, Alex contacts Jenny Fuller - Kevin's wife who she's hardly on speaking terms with - to retrieve her EmergencyStash. Unfortunately the bad guys raid the safehouse, make short work of Raymond, and find out about Jenny using the phone's redial function.
** So the only result of Alex's visit is a HostageForMacGuffin situation. And she forgets Raymond's shotgun on the way out.