The Gray Man Review: Ryan Gosling Vs Chris Evans And It’s A Show Straight Away
The Gray Man, a Netflix action movie signed by brothers Joe and Anthony Russo (Avengers: Endgame) debuts in selected rooms on July 13 and will then be available from July 22, 2022, on the Netflix streaming platform. Despite an exceptional cast, featuring stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, the film does not live up to expectations. Or rather: two hours of the film go by quickly, the visual effects and the fight scenes are impeccably made and in general you never get bored, but when you leave the room you have the feeling of having seen two hours of people running away, shooting, taking barrel and little else.
The Gray Man, the new action thriller film produced by Netflix, hits theaters on July 13 and arrives on the streaming platform starting July 22. Based on the novel of the same name by Mark Greaney, highly appreciated at home to the point of climbing the charts of the New York Times, it is signed by the Russo brothers, who confirm their fruitful collaboration with the streaming giant. To complete such a staff, in the new Netflix film we find a cast that is nothing short of stellar: from Ana de Armas to Regé-Jean Page, from Jessica Henwick to Billy Bob Thornton. With a $200 million pharaonic budget, The Gray Man is preparing to dominate the Netflix Top 10 and in turn confirms the production ambitions of the American company (as demonstrated, moreover, by the review of Red Notice and the review of The Adam Project). And, although we must admit that not everything seemed perfectly oiled in this mammoth spy gear, the result is entertaining and entertaining enough, above all thanks to the charisma of its interpreters.
The Gray Man Review: The Story
Indeed, from a purely narrative point of view, The Gray Man invents little or nothing. It is a story in which the spying outline and the thriller frame give way to a film halfway between adventure and unbridled action, with that pinch of comedy supported mainly by a spooky but surprising villain. Compared to the most anticipated spy atmospheres, the new work by Anthony and Joe Russo winks at the purest revenge movie. It is a classic story of rebellion, that of Sierra Six, who at the peak of his career as a secret agent realizes that he no longer wants to accept the compromises of the project he is part of, and from the CIA’s final weapon he soon turns into a dangerous one. deserter, to be eliminated at all costs.
On the trail of him, as mentioned, there is an exaggerated, eclectic, vain and dandy antagonist: Chris Evans’ Lloyd Hansen, despite some clichés that overshadow the originality of his character, remains convincing thanks to the acting skills of his interpreter. Leaving behind his unforgettable Captain America, Evans is now much freer to have fun and return maybe to those over-the-top roles that characterized his career before entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His Lloyd is an elegant but crazy villain, extremely physical and violent if necessary. Perhaps the best element of The Gray Man is the one that adds a speck of unpredictability to the film screenplay that is at times too banal, full of canonical genre clichés.
Halfway between the irony of a Bond Movie and the unbridled adrenaline of any John Wick, what The Gray Man lacks is perhaps a specific identity, probably a victim of the need to build the whole warp on charisma and physicality of its testosteronic protagonists. Ryan Gosling, in terms of scenic impact, is no less than his rival: more moderate and much quieter than the antagonist, Sierra Six is the classic invincible and elusive anti-hero, die-hard, charming and sly. Not Gosling’s best acting performance, but perhaps the most “physical” of all, however deserving to be appreciated.
The Gray Man Review and Analysis
The Gray Man is an action movie: the plot of an arthouse film cannot be expected. But the feeling he gets when leaving the room is that he has witnessed little else, other than an endless series of chases, fights, shootings, and things that explode. The film is a sort of James Bond (old style, that of Pierce Brosnan’s impossible evolutions) who meets Mission: Impossible, with a wink to Fast and Furious: a succession of breathtaking scenes – which is why never boring, despite the two hours of the film – but that sins from the point of view of the story. The plot turns out to be rather banal, sometimes predictable, with a villain presented as a psychopath but whose true psychopathy is never seen.
Yes, he tortures people with the peace of mind of a grocery shopper, but he lacks the psychological depth that can make a negative character great. And despite the open ending, the final resolution is quite predictable, a real “American” between striking jokes and perplexing solutions. In short, a story that leaves very little in addition to the spectacular visual effects. The real strength of The Gray Man is its technical sector: visually, in fact, the film is extremely well done. Starting with the direction of the Russo brothers, which manages to be chaotic enough to never let you relax and lively enough to take you to the heart of the action. The shooting of the various locations, which include Prague and the Château de Chantilly in France, was also beautiful.
A note of merit certainly goes to the visual effects department: the $200 million budget is all seen in breathtaking scenes such as the explosion of the plane from which Ryan Gosling leaves or the chase on the tram, one of the most successful action sequences. The fight scenes are also of the highest level when the characters of Gosling and Chris Evans clash: the way they move during the fights is well orchestrated and very realistic, and in general all the moments of the clash are extremely well made. Ana De Armas‘s performance, especially on a physical level, was excellent: the actress, after being the bond girl of No Time to Die, fell very well in the role of an agent and said she talked to someone from the CIA to best interpret his character.
However, a lack of originality in the story does not overshadow a spectacular, funny, and pleasantly entertaining feature film. The simplicity of the plot, completely subservient to the action, makes The Gray Man easy to use even for those who do not chew the most complex spy thrillers. The work of the Russo brothers is based on a rather comforting stylistic and formal continuity for the duo of directors who ferried the Avengers to the cinema: very focused in the action scenes, almost superhero in the staging and the characterization. of the hero-antagonist dichotomy, imposing on the productive side.
The Gray Man is a perfectly “readable” action in the wildest scenes, even if the production ambitions in some moments are not completely respected as regards the rendering of the special effects. Overall, however, it is an extremely enjoyable film to watch, incredibly smooth despite two very dense hours of running time. Perhaps, however, the directorial flicker that characterizes the hand of the Russos is missing, that “dirt” that so fascinated us in Tyler Rake. Perhaps the fault of a deliberately glossy operation, built more around his face than a specific idea, despite some really impressive action sequences, good choreography and a final fight between two giants like Gosling and Evans that alone is worth the price of the ticket. A film to be enjoyed, possibly, especially in the hall, but which we are sure will still be able to thrill a large part of the Netflix audience.
The Gray Man Review: The Last Words
The Gray Man is, essentially, a good divertissement made up of iconic faces, statuesque physicists and hyper charismatic actors. The adaptation operation of the Russo brothers, however, sacrifices the visual and narrative identity by building the entire operation on the scenic and physical impact of a stellar cast. Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans lead a manhunt in a violent, exaggerated, and raw fight, in a riot of chases, explosions, and fights to the death in a film that perhaps deserved a little more originality.
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Dhanush, Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura,
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Streaming Platform: Netflix (from 22nd July)
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3/5 (three stars) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
