Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

The Fall Guy

This film was so freaking fun! Now when I first saw the trailer for this film months ago I was so pulled into what this film had to offer. As you have David Leitch directing who has crafted some of the most entertaining action films of the last couple years matched with Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt and a premise about the stunt community yeah it definitely grabbed my attention. Now did the film live up to the expectations I had for it I would say so it may have some tropes it falls into I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing but the film for sure has plot points that were predictable to see from a mile away. That aside the action, comedy and sheer love for crating a film to give stunt people the overdue respect they deserve had me very much satisfied with this film as it was a enjoyable time as Ryan Gosling as we all know is incredibly charismatic and delivers another fun performance with truly well presented action sequences that i throughout enjoyed. 

Firstly, The film’s premise is fun but it also in many ways has the thing that I found the most flaws in. As I will say the thing that I didn’t like about this film to get it out of the way. As the performances were good the romance was fantastic the comedy hit but the narrative did come across a bit predictable as the film sets up the main character to go and find someone who has been missing so the production of his ex girlfriend who is making her first ever directed film does not end up being her last and Become a disaster. Now that is a solid plot but its the way the villain If you want to word it that way is set up as I already figured out who the antagonist of the film was forty five minutes into the film and so when the reveal happens in the third act of the film their was no element of surprise as their were small hints given away way before that as well the way it was set up I had seen in previous films before. Now I am not saying the film has a poorly structured narrative I don’t think that at all but I will say the film does fall into some tropes we have seen a few times before which is what makes the revel by the end of the film not that surprising it felt very much like we had seen it before but everything else involving Ryan and the whole romantic set up for him and his relationship with his ex girlfriend was greatly done its just the way the antagonist was  done and that whole part of the film I would of rewritten to made it stronger or chosen a different approach to it that didn’t feel repetitive  of past films that have done this exact same thing. Now having a film that delves into showing the making of a film from the point of view of a stunt man and just showing overwhelming love for the craft of stunt performers in film and how they have very much been sidelined with their respect in the industry and properly acknowledging them I thought was a great way to approach a comedy action film and who better to tackle that then someone who has been in the sun business for years like David Leitch. Now the film is able to showcase fantastic action set pieces that are both fun and choreographed in a way that has you on the edge of your seat that constantly finds new ways to top the previous action sequence. The film does a great job at showing the day to day routine someone who does stunt work on a film deals with and the dangers that come along with it. The film goes into deep detail about it to the extent of showing how a stunt man or woman  will check the weather down to the way the sand is done in order for the car to safely perform a stunt on a setting like a beach those small details that Leitch brings to the film made for the experience that more immersive. Then you have the romance of the story which was fantastically done as most action films always feel the need to have some sort of love interest but the way its tackled here was well executed as Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s characters have a very complicated relationship and we see from both sides why the ended up apart from each other for so long and the gradual rekindling of that romance was done in such a natural and gradual way that felt organic and not cheesy or forced. On top of the fact both of them have fantastic onscreen chemistry you can’t help but fall in love with within seconds of seeing how well they bounce off one another. The films over arching theme is how far your willing to go for The one you love and we see that on full display with Ryan’s character the film does a tremendous job at showing the comedy, action, character arcs and the only downside that again I would of fixed would of been the antagonist but aside from that the style and tone of this film is greatly done. 

Secondly, The performances are so fun in this film! Now the two performances that everyone will be talking about is Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt now I love Emily Blunt don’t get me wrong she gives a fun performance but comedically I would say it wasn’t her strongest and this is coming from someone who loves everything she is in. I think one of her best onscreen performances was in the Devil Wears Prada but she gives a entertaining turn in the film but it just didn’t stand out comedically to me for what she was trying to do. Now for Ryan Gosling I think people need to see he really excels well in the comedic genre and Barbie from 2023 really for a lot of people showed that he can do a great job with comedy and here is no surprise once again finding the perfect blend between comedy and a touching about of dramatic weight to his performance of this stunt man that has gone through great pains at work but also in his personal life. He his able to bring that signature fun charm we love from him but is also able to show the depths of who this character is at the same time keep it fun and also explore places that isn’t just a repeat of what we have seen him do before. Overall the whole cast is great even Winston Duke who gives a fun stand out performance as Ryan Goslings best friend who endlessly is quoting movies to him while also being their for him you can tell he had a fun time on set making the film but the performance everyone will have their eyes on is Ryan Gosling. 

Lastly, The Fall Guy is a fun film that is a great combination between action and comedy resulting in a great popcorn flick that also honours and gives proper respect and recognition to the stunt community which I think is amazing as I had never seen that done before on a large scale film like this. The film delivers with side splitting humour which is a result from the great comedic timing of Ryan Gosling showing that leading man quality while also presenting both comedy and dramatic elements through his performance. Emily Blunt is also a blast to see onscreen too the Fall Guy just checks all the boxes on a fun blockbuster film that recognizes its hardworking people that work within the industry while giving audiences a fun time. David Leitch gives another greatly crafted action film filled with such fun you will be smiling all the way through The Fall Guy was made for loving its stunt team and giving audiences a great thrill ride I recommend everyone go see this on the big screen  I had so much fun with this film.

The film centres around a stuntman who suffers a accident when performing a stunt but when he is called back to take on the career he is best at to help a ex girlfriend craft her directional debut he comes back only to find out he has put himself into a situation he never signed up for. 

Rated PG -13 : Drug Content|Action and Violence|Some Strong Language

Ryan Gosling : Gosling delivers a fun performance that is both comedic and genuinely hilarious but also has a sincerity to the character that results in fantastic depth. He plays Colt a stuntman who hasn’t had the best luck lately but is one of the best at what he does which as he calls it Stunting. He suffers a work accident when performing a stunt which forces him to take a step back and make sure he is okay mentally and we see the toll the accident took on him as he is still the charming man he was before the fall but we see how mentally weary he is after the fact. He takes a smaller job and tries to have a “normal” job for a while and when he is told to come back and be the main stuntman on his ex girlfriend’s first directed film he is their as he will do anything to make things right between them and also not have her first big break be her last. Now the way Gosling plays this role is very comedic for a good portion of it I can’t lie the role has him take a comedic route with this character for sure. Did it come across annoying oh not at all his dry witty humour resulted in hilarious moments that have fantastic comedy that landed every time it never felt like he would just say a line a specific way because that’s all he wanted people to get from the character but he timed the comedy so well and that being said he does bring a deep quality to him I admired. Now Gosling is known for brining a very human element to his characters that is no surprise he did it with Barbie in 2023 which that character also was comedic but he brought layers to him that made him more interesting which is the same approach he brings to the Fall Guy. As when you strip away the tough guy image he presents to the crew and to his boss he is very much a sensitive guy who just knows he screwed up and wants a second chance to make things right with the girl he knows he loves dearly. As we see that he is very much kept to himself but when he is around her he is more talkative and smiles a lot more and he will engage more in conversation so seeing his ability to trying to see that he is making a effort with even just those small characteristics is great as he is approaching the situation with love. So when he is told the girl he loves so much is directing a film and her career is on the line he will do whatever it takes to prevent a negative outcome from coming to her first movie because he knows how big of a deal it is for her and he wants to see her succeed and for the film to be huge and the best way to show her he cares is to thrust himself 100 percent into doing whatever it takes to make sure she and the film she is working on is okay. It is actually quite heartfelt and from a film that has so much action explosions and comedy their is a fantastic heartfelt and tender aspect to his character he taps into in such a endearing way that Gosling is able to find in such a extraordinary way. Now Ryan can say so much with his eyes and he wears his heart on his sleeve when you see the sheer love he has for her through a glance or a look and the fact he was able to take all of this and explore the deeper aspect of this character instead of it being just a paint by numbers action hero I greatly appreciate. As it made for a much more interesting character and we see a arc that feels more engaging onscreen then just some hollowed out character throwing quips each five minutes no Ryan Gosling is able to present a character that yes is funny and charming but also has a lot of emotional heartache he has yet to fully heal from and he brings that to the screen in such a amazing way. Overall he delivers a performance that is hilarious but also very emotionally layered which made the character stand out way more compared to if he just scratched the surface instead he went head first into this role and delivers a truly terrific performance. 

David Leitch : David delivers another amazingly well directed action flick! Now his films aren’t your standard action films where stuff blows up and the hero gets the girl at the end and theirs no consequences for its characters. Ever since seeing his directional debut with Atomic Blonde he has shown audiences you can have the cool car chases and stylistic tone but none of it matters unless you have great characters the audiences will get behind and a great amount of heart and soul to the film. As each one of his films has that and I think that is why I think he is one of the best action filmmakers working today because he knows how to go about a story in a way that dose not feel like something audiences have seen before and approach it from a way that feels new and also giving the thrills audiences want to see. With The Fall Guy it is very much his love letter to his own industry as David was a stuntman before becoming a director so it is very much a full circle moment for him to take on a film that is about the stunt community. Who better to take on a film with that plot then someone who has actually done that role for many years so it was a perfect match with director and the material of the film itself as He is able to bring small details only people in the stunt world would know that he can incorporate into his story which made it feel that much more enjoyable seeing the sheer passion and love for the project. As what is so amazing of the film is all the details of how a film and the way the production of a big scale film is shown within the film as we get a look behind the Curtain into the filmmaking process which I thought was so cool and someone like me who is a huge fan of filmmaking I loved that touch to the film. As the action never felt over the top or cheesy it was greatly shown and done in a way that felt grounded but yet fun and also builds upon the last finding new ways to set up the next set piece to be bigger and better then the last and since this film is about stunts it is a given their will be some truly breathtaking action sequences which it delivers in amazing fashion. Then in terms of the comedy it never felt like it leaned to far into the comedy that you couldn’t take it seriously but it was done in such a fun and cheeky way that earned genuine laughs that never felt out of place and since he worked on Deadpool 2 I think that was a great way for to show people he can do both action and comedy and have them compliant one another without one outweighing the other as he brings that same mentality here. The heart of the film though in many ways aside from the massive appreciation  for the stunt community was the romance as the love story between Cole and Emily Blunts character is the centre of this film and if you don’t buy into their chemistry in many ways the film falls apart. But both actors have such fantastic onscreen chemistry that is explosively  good and it isn’t all played for laughs as I munitioned their is some great dramatic elements brought to both characters that works well with the story and shows both sides of how their relationship affected them separately and how they’ve handled it since then and David Leitch explores that in such a touching way overall the Fall Guy is another well rounded directed film by David that delivers on all calibers giving audiences a great time with comedy, action, drama and romance and being a great tribute to the stunt world great job David.