For something so mindless, The Gray Man takes itself very seriously. Everything is executed with maximum bravado, which makes lines like, "if you enjoy breathing, you'll take care of it," all the more obnoxious. There's about as much emotional depth and character building as your mother's favorite soap opera, and It sort of trudges along like a personality-less Dior commercial for much of its runtime. But you don't watch this movie if you're looking for Citizen Kane, and what it does do well makes it impossible to hate. Gosling of course just stands there, moving his face less than any actor has ever done before, and yet somehow exudes a natural charisma (a paradox that's made him the star he is). Chris Evan's adds another psychotic narcissist to his reel (Knives Out, Not Another Teen Movie), proving that he's better at character work than he is at playing it straight. The set pieces elevate the fight scenes and make the action more enjoyable than the typical beat 'em up, providing much needed respite from the film's attempts at dialogue. While It's hard to believe that this latest could-have-lived-without-it Russo flic will bring consumers back to Netflix, it's better than the streaming platform's usual drone of culture deflating nonsense.
Review of The Gray Man
