The Gray Man
NETFLIXThe Russo Brothers have made four of the greatest contemporary superhero films ever made — and will go down in cinema history as the directorial duo behind crafting two of the most ambitious crossover films of all time. However, as soon as they left the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the hopes to branch out and experiment with different modes of filmmaking, they haven’t seemed to capture the same magic as their superhero films. Cherry was a disaster, and their producing works left little to be desired – save for Everything Everywhere All At Once. The Gray Man brings back the Russos to the world of action filmmaking, with the most expensive budget for a Netflix film ever and three big stars in the lead – yet almost none of it is any good.
Where did the money go? Securing talent like Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas as their three leads, since every single action scene is incomprehensible to watch. There is no geography within the frame — shaky cam and erratic cuts hinder every fight move and stunt to hide as much blood and guts as possible. But with a psychotic character like Lloyd Hansen (Evans), who is tasked to hunt down Court Gentry, AKA Sierra Six (Gosling), and blows up half of Prague to get to where he wants, a PG-13 rating doesn’t suffice. And it shows.
Every attempt at establishing any form of tension through the film’s numerous, breakneck action scenes is immediately tarnished by rapid editing and non-existent cinematography. The Russos desperately try to infuse style during these sequences by sparsely using drones, and yet none of the drone shots are impressive. They add to the chaos instead of making the sequence remotely comprehensible. Obvious comparisons will be made to Michael Bay’s Ambulance, which also used drones in an extensive way. However, Bay knew when to use drones, and every shot had legitimate geography and depth to them. The Gray Man’s action sequences are littered with unfinished CGI, shots that don’t block their actors properly within the frame, and dizzying drone moments that add no excitement to the scene.
It’s particularly egregious when the film cost over $200 million to make, and yet the money isn’t even shown on the screen. It’s one of the worst looking films of the year, asking the audience if they’re ready to sit through one ugly action scene after the other for over two hours. And it’s a shame, because the film features three incredible actors who have proven themselves to be action movie stars, yet their talents are pitifully wasted inside sequences that don’t give them any moments to shine.
Ana de Armas kicked major ass in only one scene in No Time to Die, Chris Evans was – or is, if the rumors of his return are true – Captain America, and Ryan Gosling shined in Drive, The Nice Guys, and Blade Runner 2049. In The Gray Man, none of the three actors do anything memorable. All of their “badass” fight moves are quickly overshadowed by bad cinematography, editing, and fight choreography, as if they’re two algorithms standing on the frame and doing the bare minimum in the hopes that they’re constructing an action scene.
Regardless, Gosling, de Armas, and Evans have fun. When they’re not fighting, their chemistry is off the charts, particularly Gosling and Evans, whose on-screen rivalry is tons of fun to watch. They’re both cordial with one another whenever they meet, and yet they both want to kill each other. It makes for fun banter, even if Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely’s screenplay is nowhere near as funny as the way Evans and Gosling elevate their lines. But since they’re having a blast together, their performances are thrilling to watch. Especially Evans, who perfectly embodies the biggest prick you’ve ever met in your life, and makes his silly haircut and stache have tons of personality.
De Armas is also very good and has electric chemistry with Gosling. No Time to Die proved that she is a bonafide action star, so it’s a shame that her talents are wasted like this, but she has fun blowing things up with a bazooka and holds her own with Gosling nonetheless. The remainder of the supporting cast – from Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard, Regé Jean-Page, Dhanush, and Jessica Henwick – are also fine, but that’s because they are highly talented actors. The script isn’t doing them any favors, as they’re all playing incredibly predictable characters where their arc’s ending is seen a mile away. Even if it’s based on a book, non-readers will know exactly where every single character arc will end, since they seemed to be plucked straight out of the “Action Moviemaking for Dummies” book.
Even if the actors try to make the most of the script, The Gray Man simply doesn’t work. The action scenes are too poor for anyone to comprehend what’s happening, while the script is too paint-by-numbers to hold interest. Props to Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas for caring, even if no one else seems to care, including The Russos. They’re likely going to come back in the MCU for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, because the films they make outside of Marvel are simply embarrassing for anyone to watch.