Tag Archives: David Leitch

Film reviews

The Fall Guy Review

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Ryan Gosling is still being praised for his role as Ken in Barbie last year and he deserves even more for The Fall Guy. Gosling is the hero in this film, but his co-star Emily Blunt deserves applause along with Aaron Taylor-Johnson who plays the movie star. The Fall Guy is a comedy-thriller with a clever personalitywhich makes it soar with delight. The film is a blast from director David Leitch. While there are a few moments that drag, the adventure is interesting enough to offset any boredom.

Watching The Fall Guy feels like being an audience member on a movie set during shoots. The film industry is the focus of the film. The lead is Colt Seavers played by Gosling. Colt is astuntman who leaves the film industry, but then finds his way back into the routine of the business. He has his eye on the prize, his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno, a movie director, played by Emily Blunt. Colt may have landed his lucky project by finding his way onto Jody’s project. There is a twist, however, when the lead of her project, Tom Ryder, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, goes missing. Suspense is a key part of this film’s creativity.

Of course, the setup relies on lots of action involving Colt. He must put together the pieces to find Tom. He must also get his reputation as a stuntman back. And he must do what he can to attract his ex-girlfriend again. There are plenty of diverse moviesets in The Fall Guy which have different atmospheres with various people and specific dangers.

The thrills are intriguing as Colt faces new and complex risks.Colt is used to doing stunts in movies and must perform some of them which cause him to face actual life-and-death scenarios. While sometimes exciting, the humor is occasionally mediocre. Fortunately, the different movie sets add value and keep things interesting.

The Fall Guy feels two-sided. It feels like it is a film within a film. One side contains the film which is set in the movie industry. The second side contains Gosling as the hero. Which side has the upper hand? The Fall Guy will make audiencesthink twice.

As I mentioned previously, the film is all Gosling. He is the king of continuity and thrives creating stunts with a killer attitude. In one scene, Gosling plays someone escaping in a boat with his hands tied behind him yet is still an unstoppable force. Although it is silly in spots, The Fall Guy still kills. It has laughs, excitement, thrills, and comedic peril. When his character Colt says, “Professional is my middle name,” the element of surprise rises.

My love for The Fall Guy is due to its utilization of movie sets as settings which greatly boosted the entertainment value. These cinematic settings created an enthralling vibe. Gosling jumps through many hurdles in this adventure and does not rely upon his pretty boy persona. This time, he deserves recognition for playing the hero, attracting the girl he loves, and gaining his career back. The Fall Guy is an above-average ride that deserves three out of four stars.

Film reviews

Bullet Train Review

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What country has almost two thousand miles of very high speed “bullet” trains? Japan. What happens to a bullet train if anything goes wrong at those speeds? The passengers—and the main characters in the film Bullet Train—are of course in very serious risk of harm. What actor can deliver a dark humor with laughs and deceit that can stand up to these extreme risks? The one and only Brad Pitt.

In Bullet Train, a film directed by David Leitch, Pitt is Ladybug, a man who does dirty work for high pay. He is assigned to retrieve a briefcase on a train, but there are others aboard the train who have the same goal. There are two agents, Tangerine and Lemon, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry. There is Prince, played by Joey King. And there is Kimura, played by Andrew Koji. All have one element in common—they are all assassins. Ladybug realizes that the other operatives aboard the train will make his mission more difficult, and that there are many dangers associated with the mission.

With Bullet Train, Leitch uses violence, conflict, and characterizations for numerous surprises. With Pitt as the lead character, there is no question that it will be a ride of high-octane fun. Pitt’s down-to-earth attitude and method style acting is a perfect fit for this film. His character here is reminiscent of his role in Mr. and Mrs. Smith(2005) blended with Fight Club (1999).

The character development in Bullet Train is superb. There are tons of satirical conversations between Ladybug and Tangerine, and Ladybug and Lemon. All of the main characters are criminal pros, and as the tension grows they think back on their background and to funny conversations with clever metaphors and references. Be ready to hear a generous amount of references to Thomas the Train. One character repeatedly refers to it as his way of coping with stressful situations, and the references are always hysterical.

Bullet Train is flat out fun with many tangents, and it’s unforgettable. There are many blindsiding scenarios where the film becomes a ride of laughs, action, and non-stop brilliance from the mind of director David Leitch. It is an action hijacking film on acid, a warp-speed of brilliance and engrossing suspense. I did not want the train to stop. With Brad Pitt in fight mode there is always an extra hit of something, an iron fist, sarcasm, misdirection, or a combination of the above. See Pitt in his epic performance on a very fast train. Four stars for Bullet Train.