This one was fascinating. I watched it with a buddy, at the movies, in a room that'd seat 512 people, yet we were probably no more than ten people in the room, tops...
I really hope we were just there at an odd time, or that this movie's been drawing in killer audiences until we watched it - cause it deserves more!
They had a cinema exclusive message at the start of the film too, with Gosling and the real director (I say real because... well you'll see) thanking the viewers and talking a bit about the film, all the while immaturely texting each other secret messages the audience could see, in a way where it was supposedly clear they were not really intended for us. I love it!
I've seen the message thing done on a couple movies last year, Sista Resan and Ett Sista Race in particular, and their directorial talks were great too, but this was even better. And this was international!
I hope they do more of those on other movies. It's a cool thing.
As for the actual movie?
Well it's a movie within a movie! Where they both script and film a movie in real time, all the while a nefarious scheme is a brewing in the background.
The main actor's mysteriously gone, and the stunt guy needs to get him back... and then when it's all over (more on that soon) we get some actual behind the scenes of 'behind the scenes' scenes in the movie itself!
There are so many layers to it all!
And they get creative with both the filming and the scripting.
They show the details they want you to see, but when it's over we see how they really saw it. Within the movie we see scenes both with and without CGI, as they're filming them, but really only as they are post production.
We just see what they want us to see, because it's all still a part of the movie, and what irony that Ryan Gosling - the guy who plays the stunt guy (the 'Fall Guy' - there are layers to that choice of title too) actually has a stunt guy do his stunts.
Then in the end Momoa - who has a history in stunts also - takes over the lead role, as an actual stunt guy who plays the lead role the lead role was a stunt double for!
I love the way it all connects, and builds. I love the fights, and the stunts, but even more so I love how wholesome and full-circle the story itself is!
It's exciting, witty, romantic, ruthless... with good music, with a fascinating glimpse of the craft behind the film within the film, and it pays homage to the most underappreciated working man there is in this world - the stunt guy! They get their time to shine too. Just you wait.
A hopeless romantic I may be, but this is just best way in the possible savage. Whatever that means.
The actors did a great job too. Respect.
You'd almost think Ryan was the stunt guy, and there's not a single person here who doesn't put on a good show when a situation calls for it.
I wonder if there's more to this that I'm still missing.
I wonder if some of the other actors were legit stunt performers too.
I wonder if there are layers beyond the layers I know and recognize; if I'm still just seeing what they want me to see. It's almost like The Matrix huh. But not really. But like Inception. But like you know what I'm saying right? Like with Jocko's merch (jockostore.com) there are layers to this shizzle.
I love the actual montage they have of stunts at the beginning of the film too. I recognized the Atomic Blonde, John Wick, Mr. Nobody and Fast & Furious scenes at least - probably more - I forget which others they included.
And I love what they did with the Baywatch stunt. How they actually got the actual cast to cameo at the end too, and though the focus is very very much on the stunt work itself (which btw is top tier - find yourself a montage of just all of those falls somewhere) they get in some fantastic visual effects too! Party scene. Very tastefully done I must say. :)
Though I wonder if the horse was real or no, I wonder if they combined SFX and VFX, I need more behind the scenes...
I love how certain glimpses of the (hopefully actual) script flash by during the intro too. Since I watched this in theatre I didn't have the opportunity to pause and read those, they flimmer and fade fast - but I definitely will some day!
I definitely will see this one again, no doubt about it.
It's in essence a rom com action movie that pays homage to that most noble profession related to film, and if you ever happen to read this you guys who somehow got involved with the making of this, you did such a good job. Not just in paying homage but in making one of the most wholesome and memorable movies I've seen in a long time.
I came home in a fantastic mood around midnight yesterday, and though I didn't get as much sleep as I needed that mood's still with me today.
Can't wait to revisit this again once it's out on other mediums, but I'm glad I caught it at the theatre too, with that exclusive message no less.
Stuff like this gives me hope cinema may live forever; that we someone manage to rekindle the appreciation of film that we used to have.
We watch movies sure, but the market's all too saturated now, the pace is all too high, everything looks great and yet somehow... I feel like we've been missing something when I see something like this.
This and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Real blockbusters. Real Hollywood. Or Bollywood - they're cool too. They do crazy stunts too. They still have the passion and dance with a fashion too.
I did hope there'd be some HK action footage included in that montage of homages the movie starts with, but I guess it does aim itself at a more American audience.
HK had the maybe craziest stunts of all though back in the day - and maybe still do. Thailand too. Indonesia. I'm probably missing a bundle. Keep on innovating y'all, and props on keeping the craft alive!
Appreciate this. This was amazing.
rated 5/5: friggin awesome