Lost In The Wilderness
From its inception, the action genre strain of films has always adapted and morphed into many different breeds of cinema. Indeed, Indeed, Whereas the aftermath of the Second World War inherently changed film-makers at the time to depict battles fought by the brave and noble, films such as Cornelius Ryan’s The Longest Day or J. Lee Thompson’s The Guns of Navarone, and how these films in returned to the spy genre seen throughout the James Bond centric films of the 60’s, it’s fathomable to perceive just how much the action genre has changed. Such change is evident through Chad Stahelski’s acclaimed John Wick series of films which purposefully takes the choreographed stylisation of the Hong Kong ‘Heroic Bloodshed’ movies of the 80’s and amalgamates that with a context that’s seeped in intrigue and originality. This is why a great many of us akin and accept to action-flicks similar to that of John Wick; a filmic series where you can clearly appreciate the cinematic nuances that it proudly provides and never once degrades itself into something that repeats the same story and cinematic beats of woeful action films of yesteryear. Much to some people’s expectations and dismay, the Russo Brothers’ latest venture of film-making, in the form of The Gray Man, pitifully falls deeply into this abyss of laissez-faire filmdom where $200 million film budget, the highest budget adopted by any Netflix picture, is insanely distributed between explosions, shooting….and more explosions…
Six, a former criminal freed from jail by the CIA who recruit him as a highly-skilled assassin in the deep-cover Sierra program, is the agency’s best merchant of death. However, when a mission goes bad by confronting another CIA agent in the same squad who provides him with corrupting information of his employers, Six now see’s himself on the run from those who initially set him free and the sociopathic former agent, Lloyd Hansen. Aided by agent Dani Miranda and handler Donald Fitzroy, Six must be ruthless to avoid Hansen, who will stop at nothing to bring him down…
As much as there is nothing ‘Gray’ about The Gray Man’s clear prowess of having two A-list film stars, that of Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, chasing and scrapping at each other around the globe – quipping and killing in an array of some posh, mysterious locations in the likes of Prague, Bangkok and London – there’s truly nothing more that the film even attempts at offering on a plate, which is rather sad. Considering that you have the Russo Brothers at the directorial helm – film-makers and screenwriters who are infamous in delivering high-budget Marvel flicks that despite the formalities of actions scenes spoilt with explosive grandeur and tense moments, provided charm through character interactions and progression – you would think their mastery of the silver-screen would surely entice the average cinema-goer. What results, however, is an action-film experience that truly feels more bloated than a pufferfish. Whereas the opening moments of the film, with Gosling’s character of Six discovering this information that ultimately leads to a cat-and-mouse chase around the world, what stems of this engrossing catalyst is a crisis that doesn’t warrant any care in the slightest. Indeed, it’s interminable and inexcusable to say the least when you have another adhered action film in the form of Top Gun: Maverick, a spectacle which cost $30 million less than what the Russo Brothers inevitably occupied, which provided audiences with well-crafted action set pieces along with acceptable characters that you wanted to learn more about. In the case of The Gray Man, what’s shown to be an espionage narrative that should have commented on the discrepancies of real-world government agencies and the anxiety of the misuse of information is in fact a piece of material that’s filled with lukewarm leftovers that maybe the Borne series of films discarded with and said, “tah, thanks”. Essentially, the story is replaced with aggravating action-flick tropes that leave you wanting to escape the whole façade. Not only is this down to the excessive exploitation of explosions and gun-battle spectacles that leave you unattached, but it’s also the fault of the editing and how avidly the film goes by without taking a necessary breath. Once Gosling’s character is on the run from Evan’s persona, the film doesn’t want to stop itself from actually slowing-down and provide those watching with anything that’s meaningful. Truly, it’s as if you’re watching The Da Vinci Code all over again; where characters go from one place to another whilst something tense is taking place in the background. By no means was I, personally, expecting The Gray Man to be a film defined the action genre. However, considering how a hefty sum was used by non-other than the Russo Brothers to craft this film together, it’s rather appalling to say; even considering when other directors and screenwriters would truly revel in the position that the Russo’s found themselves in. In a way, it’s as if that they got lost in their own mythology; straying into the wilderness of cinema without the guise and structure they had when making memorable Marvel flicks and making a film like this that doesn’t know what it wants to be.
Much of the same can be said in regards to the performances and portrayals of the characters shown where we have this weird and unwelcome blend of comedy and stoicism. This can be seen from the central character of Six, portrayed by Ryan Gosling. Stoicism has long been a powerful weapon in Ryan Gosling’s cinematic arsenal. One of his best-remembered films remains the taut 2011 thriller Drive, in which he played an unnamed stunt driver who is cool behind the wheel but monosyllabic in conversation. As Officer K in Blade Runner 2049, he was quite literally robotic, an artificial “replicant” designed to be void of emotion. In First Man, he portrayed the astronaut Neil Armstrong as prickly and standoffish, far more ready to face his work than any interpersonal relationship. But as remote as he seemed in each of those movies, he was always grappling with a complex character, proper story stakes, and a touch of internal weirdness. His newest lead role, in Netflix’s action blockbuster, has none of that. All Gosling has to work with is Six’s non-personality. Given that the government honed him as a “gray man” who could blend into the background of any assignment, he spends the majority of the film glowering and mumbling when he’s not being tossed into another CGI-powered combo of running, jumping, and shooting. Frankly, Gosling deserves better considering the said actors past endeavours in roles where he provides the necessary gravitas. Other actorial potential is also wasted in the form of Ana De Armas who’s affinity in action-packed roles of late isn’t as utilised as one might expect. For sure, she depicts a character who strives to do the right thing within the context of the story and contributes to big action sequences when called-upon. However, much of her potential is wasted and is merely seen as necessity for a giant moving cog of more, and more, and more explosions. The one portrayal that probably had the most enjoyment was that of Chris Evan’s character; an antagonist that galivants around the frame with freedom and vigour. He at least gets to have some fun in the part of the villain; he plays Hansen as a fratty twit who can’t stop bragging about his Harvard degree.
To put everything into one simple conclusion, The Russo Brother’s The Gray Man truly suffers from having no inner depths to explore and rather focuses on the application of providing the audience with senseless and throwaway action set-pieces. The film exists to set up sequels, to spend money on fancy location shoots, and to look glamorous and exciting. It goes to show really how the more recognisable names of film-making rather reap the rewards whereas those who need a significant budget would do anything to get their vision and story told in a way that presents meaning. What we have here is a scenario where Netflix needlessly spent their worth and integrity on a concept that will leave you disappointed and frustrated that you didn’t watch something else instead. For Netflix’s sake, I hope they don’t recklessly put all their pot into a rumoured franchise that doesn’t have any legs to continue. Then again, this is Netflix we’re talking about…A streaming service that has made some questionable decisions in regards to what they want to show on their platform and what needs to be eradicated.
On that note, it’s time for me to end this week’s Film Review. As always everyone, thank you for reading my latest Film Review of The Gray Man and I hope you’ve all enjoyed the read! Thank you for reading this week’s Blog Post and I’ll be back next week! Have a nice day! Adieu!
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ – Alex Rabbitte