Director: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
‘Captivating Comedy’
Few television shows about stuntmen falling from the sky are as beloved as “The Fall Guy”. Aired once upon a time in Hollywood, the show celebrated stunt performers which were misunderstood. It gained appreciation by achieving the impossible mission of honoring stunt performers seeking recognition. As iconic as Barbie, the show honored stunt performers in the film industry. On a personal level, I find the show relatable. At an early age, I bonded with a grandfather that appreciated stunt actors showing courage. He took great interest in stunts he recorded in a notebook. Showing a strong drive, he loved movies about performers struggling to stay alive. Drawn to danger, he admired stunt actors riding like lightning to crash like thunder. Adopting a cynical attitude, he argued stunt actors were undervalued. I cherished time spent with a grandpa that passed on love for Cinema. I would look forward to going to the theater to watch action movies with my grandfather. Movies were an art form allowing me to bond with a grandfather holding a place in my heart. However, aging ended bonds forever. Truth be told, growing old my grandfather lost interest in stunts which were bold. Growing cynical with age, he wasn’t impressed by performers’ courage. As trips to theaters became less frequent, we became distant. Like lovers in L.A. parting way, our relationship went astray. No longer the movie-buff I came to adore, he lost interest in films he didn’t enjoy anymore. Looking back with nostalgia, the show reminds me of a grandpa that loved Cinema.
Now, David Leitch celebrates television shows capturing stuntmen falling from skies in “The Fall Guy”. Action-packed, heartwarming and nostalgic, it commemorates television acknowledging stunt performers experiencing danger. David Leitch commemorates a legendary show celebrating stunt communities. Boasting exhilarating action sequences, engrossing storytelling and phenomenal performances, it’s a breathtaking blockbuster. Although “The Fall Guy” is unforgettable, it’s problematic. It’s unevenly paced, building formulaic conclusions. Nevertheless, it offers exhilarating entertainment for the television show’s fans.
“The Fall Guy” chronicles a performer finding enjoyment starring in movies with high likelihood to die. Ryan Gosling embodies Colt Seavers, an adventurous stunt performer working for movie-star Tom Ryder. Assisted by female director/girlfriend Jody (Emily Blunt), Colt performs dangerous stunts in action movies. However, Colt’s passion for performing stunts is threatened when Tom Ryder goes missing. As he becomes suspect of murder, Colt discovers dire consequences of being a stunt performer.
David Leitch is fascinated with stuntmen. A stunt coordinator, Leitch has excelled staging impressive stunts in movies. His blockbuster “Bullet Train” examined stuntmen seeking to stop a train. With “The Fall Guy”, however, Leitch crafts his first comedy. It’s Leitch’s attempt capturing stunt performers, but he succeeds. Through stunning cinematography, Leitch captures a stuntman’s journey in the film industry. Evoking Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, Leitch uses montages to capture stunt performers in Hollywood. Split-screen montages elevate the scene where Colt and Jodie discuss their common love for romantic comedies. It brought back fond memories of my bond with a grandfather that shared a common love for action movies. Montages are tricky. As Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” suggested, montages elevate musicals. Derek Cianfrance’s “The Place Beyond the Pines” claimed montages enhance crime dramas. Nevertheless, it succeeds. Alongside cinematographer Jonathan Sela, Leitch captures stunts. Leitch honors stunt performing, creating theatrical viewing.
If stories of stunt performers don’t attract you to theaters, however, there’s reasons to see “The Fall Guy”. It features the most awe-inspiring stunt work you’ll see in an action movie. Assisted by stunt designer Chris O’Hara, Leitch stages action celebrating stunt performers through practical stunts. For instance, practical stunts elevate the fire burning scene. During this unforgettable scene, Colt engages in a stunt burning his body making a movie. One acknowledges death-defying stunts recalling Christopher McQuarrie’s “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”. It reminded me about my grandfather’s astonishment at performers with commitment risking their lives for entertainment. Practical stunts are tricky. As Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” trilogy suggested, stunts elevate comic-book movies. Moreover, the music is magnificent. Evoking Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Drive”, it captures performers’ drive to survive. Through production-design, Leitch celebrates television.
Another extraordinary aspect of “The Fall Guy” is storytelling. Drew Pearce’s screenwriting strength is capturing repercussions of stunt performing through voice-over narration. In Hollywood, movies rarely address stress impacting stunt performers’ success. As a case in point, Ben Affleck’s “Tropic Thunder” depicted stunt performers as invincible heroes overcoming danger. Thankfully, however, “The Fall Guy” avoids these pitfalls. Inspired by Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”, Leitch uses narration to capture stuntmen facing tension. Throughout the movie, Colt narrates struggles achieving recognition in the film industry. Like narration demonstrating Ken’s journey to discover his identity, narration showcases Colt’s frustrations with the film profession. It reminded me of my aging grandfather’s cynical attitude that over time lost interest in performers he argued were undervalued. Voice-over narration is complicated. As Shane Black’s “The Nice Guys” suggested, narration elevates detective dramas. David Fincher’s “Fight Club” demonstrated narration is appropriate for adaptations. Nevertheless, it succeeds. Through spellbinding storytelling, Pearce commemorates stunt performing.
One admires astonishing performances.
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Ryan Gosling delivers one of his best performances as Colt. Gosling took audiences’ breath away by playing lovers in Nick Cassavetes’ “The Notebook”. It isn’t easy to embody a stunt performer seeking success in the film industry, but Gosling succeeds. Inspired by Michael Keaton in Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu’s “Birdman”, Gosling embodies a compelling stuntman. It’s a role allowing the actor to showcase his strong aptitude for evoking comedy. With mesmerizing expressions, Gosling embodies angst, determination and reckless abandon of a stunt performer. It’s a phenomenal performance.
The supporting cast is stellar, sharing strong chemistry. Emily Blunt is extraordinary, capturing charisma acknowledgments of a blunt female director whose focus on career leads romantic affairs to end in tragedy. Aaron-Taylor Johnson is amazing, capturing an arrogant movie-star with bad reputation. Last, Winston Duke merits acknowledgements. As a stunt coordinator, he’s hilarious.
Despite strong performances, however, “The Fall Guy” can’t honor shows about adventurous stuntmen falling from the sky destined to die. Leitch’s decision introducing gang subplots in the film is bold but hinders pacing. Therefore, scenes capturing Colt’s interactions with criminals aren’t as engaging as his journey to become a stuntman. Whereas this gangster subplot elevated Ruben Fleischer’s “Gangster Squad”, it feels out-of-place in this film. Moreover, the film suffers from a formulaic ending. It’s a predictable conclusion sugarcoating hardships faced by stunt performers seeking recognition in the film profession. As Cary Joji Fukunaga’s “No Time to Die” suggested, explosive endings elevate James Bond movies. Worst, it perpetuates the message that stunt performers achieve recognition without damage. Thus, ‘The Fall Guy” falters.
Nevertheless, fans of the television show would recognize “The Fall Guy” and so will audiences giving acknowledgements to stunt performers. A captivating comedy, it honors stunt performers with strong drive to succeed in a film industry. A fantastic tribute towards a famous television show capturing fearless stuntmen seeking acknowledgement falling in the sky, it could spark recognition of stunt performers facing high likelihood in institutionalizations to die.
A magnificent celebration of a TV show achieving impossible mission of celebrating stunt performers seeking recognition, it’s a marvelous reminder of stunt actors whose efforts are rarely recognized in the profession.
Like beautiful Barbie dolls impacting young girls’ identity, it’s a breathtaking reminder of a show that built a strong legacy by commemorating stuntmen breaking backs to create successful blockbuster movies.
If movies have abilities to honor stunt performers that sought success once upon a time in Hollywood, hopefully it would incite greater appreciation for stunt doubles whose jobs are misunderstood.
As strong as Colt’s desires to be a stunt performer, it has motivated me to move on many years after ending relationships with a grandfather that loved seeing actors in danger by honoring a relative whose love for filmmaking I’ll forever treasure.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 