The Rhythm Section

           Despite star Blake Lively acting with conviction, "The Rhythm Section" is completely out of tune. It's a paper thin revenge story that flirts with an espionage connection that goes nowhere. A typical studio film released in the bleak movie month of February where bad films go to die.

            When she discovers the plane crash that killed her family was actually a terrorist bomb, Ms. Lively awakens from a three year stupor of drugs and prostitution to track down those responsible. She rather easily finds co-star Jude Law, an ex-MI 6 agent, living in the middle of nowhere Scotland who, out of the goodness of his heart, helps train her to locate the terrorists. Sterling K. Brown also co-stars as an rogue information broker living in Tangiers. No matter what role Mr. Brown takes in a film, he's always a variation of "Randall" from "This Is Us".

              Ms. Blakely tries hard with a script by Mark Burnell, who based the film on his novel but it's easier to find an MI 6 agent in the middle of Scotland than to take this story seriously. What the film does have going for it, is a beautiful world travelogue. Set in multiple countries, the scenery is lovely. Otherwise, things blow up, people die, there is a requisite twist and who cares....