The Fall Guy

The Fall Guy
Starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham
Directed by David Leitch

The Academy Awards honors actors, films, directors, producers, cinematographers, costume designers, makeup artists, musicians and sound designers, but there's a group of people who, without them, would prove disastrous for the film industry: stunt performers. They're the unsung heroes, the ones who get little to no recognition as they literally risk their lives to pull off the outstanding stunts that we get to witness on screen. They're a unique breed, fearless and bold, and they deserve as much recognition and respect as anyone else in the industry. Harry O'Connor, Art Scholl, Paolo Rigon, Kun Liu, Chris Lamon and numerous other stunt performers have died while performing their stunts, and unlike those who grace the big screen that we know, they get little to no coverage. It's a sad state of affairs, and director David Leitch knows this all too well - a former stuntman himself, he decided to introduce summer moviegoers to "The Fall Guy" - a film that highlights the importance of stunt actors and the great work they do - and weaves both a romantic comedy and action thriller in the process.

Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is a seasoned stuntman for famed actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and is in love with camera operator Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). After a stunt goes terribly wrong, he spends eighteen months in recovery while also leaving the Hollywood world behind - along with Jody - and takes a job as a valet driver. One day he gets a call from executive producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) who invites Cole back to Hollywood to work on the set of a movie called "Metalstorm" that's being directed by Jody. Thinking she asked for him personally, he joins the crew and learns that not only did Jody not invite him, she doesn't want him on set - but with the timing, she has no choice. As Colt tries desperately to revive his relationship with Jody, a mystery is thrown into the mix - Tom has disappeared, and Gail worries it has to do with some shady connections he formed recently. Colt is tasked with finding Tom and through his amateur detective work finds a secret that threatens not just his life, but Jody's film as well.

"The Fall Guy" is a film that isn't really done too much nowadays: a completely fun, carefree romp that'll have you laughing, admiring the incredible stunt work, and valuing the importance of said stunt work in a cinematic world too overladen with CGI and deep fakes. Leitch relies on his knowhow and the faith he has in his crew to pull off spectacular practical effects with an impressive stunt crew (Gosling himself had four), and the result is a film chock full of suspense, action, and fun. This doesn't require vast knowledge of previous films, or takes itself too seriously - rather, it's silly in the most perfect ways, led by the ever-charismatic Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.

The film's first half plays as a romantic comedy, where Gosling's Colt re-enters the life of Blunt's Jody in hopes of rekindling their relationship that he cut off months earlier due to his accident and him feeling he wasn't good enough for her. Colt is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, and professes his undying love to Jody (after crying to a Taylor Swift song), and you sense the chemistry between the two actors. While Jody seems unaffected by it, you clearly tell she is still hurt from him leaving, but also desperately wants to give it another go: but her pride won't allow it. They go through different events that threaten to break them up for good, or bring them together forever - it just depends on how you see through their lens.

Then the film amps up to action levels when Tom goes missing, and Colt's adventure really begins. From facing sword-wielding assassins to trained mercenaries and being aided by a French dog as well as stunt coordinator Dan Tucker (played with comedic perfection by Winston Duke), Colt goes from scene to scene as he uses his stuntman work to full effect: tumbling, getting hit by a car, avoiding bullets and getting involved in high-octane boat chases - Leitch pulls off each shot brilliantly. They even broke the Guinness World Record for the most cannon rolls in a car. It's an action spectacle that you don't see too often anymore, and there's hardly a dull moment.

Some minor criticisms of the film, for me anyway, rests in the length. It could've been cropped by ten minutes or so, as well as some of the storyline getting lost in the momentum. Emily Blunt's character also gets sidelined a bit in the second half as Colt's mystery unfolds, and it would've been a lot better if her character Jody joined in Colt's exploits. Still, those are minor criticisms set against an exciting backdrop that celebrates the talents of stuntmen and the ultimate power of love.

The Score: A