[star rating=”3.5″] THE FALL GUY. Directed by David Leitch. With Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling.
KAREN RUTTER reviews
Is there ANYTHING better than sitting in Cinema 4 at the Labia with a cold beverage, a can of Pringles, and a really silly-fun action movie on screen? Okay, a box of popcorn would have made the experience a perfect ten, but the concession queue had reached Michaelis, so that wasn’t going to happen. But it was all pretty close to sublime, anyway.
The Fall Guy is not going to strain your brain – this must be made clear from the start. But it will provide two hours of non-stressful pleasure, largely due to the charming performances by the two leads, Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling. (Both actors who have heavyweight screen cred, but seem to just be having a complete jol with this one.) It’s like a Fast and Furious film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. And ultimately, it’s an ode to the unsung heroes of the action genre – the stunt guys.
Fun and games
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, because Director David Leitch is a former stunt person himself (doubling for Brad Pitt five times, amongst many other parts), and clearly loves and respects the job. So in The Fall Guy, Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stunt performer who doubles for famous action star and major a-hole Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Colt and camera operator Jody Moreno (Blunt) have a very cute crush thing going on. But it all gets ruined when Colt has a horrible accident on set and becomes a social hermit.
Cue to several months later – Jody is now directing her first feature film and Colt is manipulated into coming back on set. But things go awry when Tom Ryder disappears, possibly due to drug connections, and Jody’s first film looks set to tank. Unless a certain stunt performer and ex-boyfriend gets involved …
It’s all fun and games, with the most ridiculously impossible action sequences and predictable but sweet storyline. Honestly, there’s absolutely no work for your intellect – you can just tell it to sit back and enjoy the ride.
What: The Fall Guy
Where: In most major cinemas
WS
