The Gray Man: The One-Night Stand of a Movie
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649418/ratings/?ref_=tt_ov_rt
Despite the fact that I don’t particularly like it, the ending was able to relieve my boredom. I have to say that the first half of the film is pretty dull; even after three viewings, it all seems the same: a heterosexual Caucasian man with a traumatic past and a stoic demeanor posing as a secret agent turned sideways. However, the fact that I am watching this film for the third time does not rule out the possibility that I will enjoy it.
It’s possible that if I had to watch this movie all at once in one day, I wouldn’t enjoy it as much, but I suppose that’s why it’s available on streaming services rather than in theaters. One aspect of this film that stands out to me is the fight scene near the end between the main protagonist and the main antagonist. This reminds me of a fight scene between Leon and Klaus in the Resident Evil 4 video game. The incidental music in the film exceeded my expectations. I think the original music and sound design were important parts of this movie.
However, the same cannot be said about the lighting in this film. It would be lame to say that the reason for my stated opinion about the lighting is that I couldn’t see anything on the screen and had to increase the brightness of my screen. The thing is, if that was the point of the lighting, to highlight the plot elements, the lighting was unappealing; the way they utilized the low-key lighting was uninteresting, and I have wondered when this particular supposed low-key lighting scene was meant to be a break for the audience to close their eyes for a while.
Regardless, it’s impossible to deny that the film’s aerial shots are stunning. In my opinion, this is a viable approach to presenting an action film. There are some fantastic shots in this film that are very effective, crisp, and clear. The film’s color palette struck me as especially impressive. It is safe to say that Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas give this film a Blade Runner vibe, but it also makes it feel like a knockoff. A movie with lots of explosions and a bunch of extras scattering around from gunshots will definitely work to pass the time.
From that current perspective, I’d say the film is quite entertaining but not quite as engaging and notable, as the John Wick movie. It feels more like a template for the generic type of action movie, with a straight white male as the main character and an eccentric—but not to the point where they cannot be objectified—female supporting character. Even so, it’s safe to say that this movie could serve as a jumping-off point for a new straight white male main character in an action movie.
I’d give it a five out of ten, mostly for the incidental music and the aerial shots that have won me over. Even though it’s not a “fantastic” movie, it is still quite entertaining, even though you might not want to watch it again.
