Film Review: THE GRAY MAN (2022): Well-Cast Netflix Action Movie Comes up Short When it Comes to Plot Development

The Gray Man Review

The Gray Man (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, written by Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Billy Bob Thornton, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush, Alfre Woodard, Rege-Jean Page, Wagner Moura, Julia Butters, Shea Whigham, Deobia Oparei, Robert Kazinsky, Daz Crawford, Callan Mulvey, Charlit Dae, Cameron Crovetti and Chris Castaldi. 

Anthony and Joe Russo have directed the Netflix action picture The Gray Man and the filmmakers had a nice sized $200 million budget to work with. They use it for some high profile cast members and some excellently staged action sequences which proves that the money ended up on the screen but the movie’s plot is a colossal misfire. It’s so lightweight and phony that you can see all the actors working so hard to try to cover up the film’s many plot holes which are large enough to drive a truck through. A lot of talent got involved with the picture and credit must be given to star Ryan Gosling for maintaining his charismatic screen presence throughout as he is playing a character who is so underwritten, Gosling could have simply crashed and burned. The fact that he doesn’t is a testament to the quality of Gosling as an actor.

The film opens with a convict who becomes known as “Six” (Gosling). Gosling’s character is going to be stuck in jail for about 20 more years unless he gives in to the wishes of Billy Bob Thornton’s handler character, Fitzroy, who is a heavyweight with a plan that can use Gosling’s vicious skills to his advantage. Years pass and a CIA head honcho named Carmichael (Rege-Jean Page, cast against type) is revealed to be up to no good and a USB drive is introduced which has information that can prove it. The USB drive sets the action into motion, for better or worse.

This movie shifts to different locations right in the opening scenes and you’ll probably need a scorecard to keep track of who’s who and who’s going where and who’s good and who’s not so good. Did a plot so simple need to be so complicated? It’s based on a book so I guess its roots require it to be needlessly contrived and plot heavy but the story isn’t properly developed. Rather, it’s revealed in a piecemeal fashion that ultimately undermines its integrity. There are interesting action scenes that come from the plot development but not all of them work as well as they should.

Chris Evans (sporting a mustache) is the key assassin, Lloyd Hansen, who is the “villain” in the picture out to get Six. Ana de Armas (who is in almost everything nowadays) plays Dani Miranda who is another nice agent but it is Alfre Woodard who steals the movie from all the other heavy hitters in the cast, playing determined bureau chief Cahill. Woodard adds dignity and intelligence to her part and we respect her character which is more than I can say for some of the other characters in the movie. Carmichael, Lloyd Hansen and Dani Miranda all are thin characters with little substance who just serve as catalysts to move the plot ahead. Evans has the meatiest role but he’s too cheesy to be believable, unfortunately. Evans has a good scene or two here and there but the character just feels like it needed to be re-written and fleshed out more substantially. As is, Lloyd Hansen just seems to serve the mechanics of the plot.

Fitzroy’s niece, Claire, is played by the competent young actress Julia Butters. I love this actress’ work in everything she’s done and it’s not her fault her character is reduced to mostly being in the background of shootouts and she’s essentially just there to give the movie some humanity amidst the violence which is fine. I don’t fault Butters for anything she does here and the performer acquits herself admirably in her role.

Gosling has some far-fetched action scenes. The most absurd one comes when he single-handedly defends himself on a plane and jumps off of it with ridiculous results. This scene could be seen as exciting by less demanding movie watchers but there is no logic to the sequence of events. It’s like the filmmakers just kept throwing things at the audience hoping they won’t notice how inane it all is. The action scenes are “bigger” each time in terms of how much blows up or gets shot up, but still.

Who watches a movie like The Gray Man for plausibility? Probably nobody. I wanted to love this movie. Billy Bob Thornton is a pleasure to see back at work and there is some good acting sprinkled throughout here. Alfre Woodard is in top form, for sure and Gosling is an actor who has a likability that is hard to dispute. In the Russo Brothers’ hands, though, the movie collapses from the fact that it cannot sustain plausibility due to the implausibility of most of the events that occur throughout the picture. Less demanding viewers who like their movies with familiar performers and a lot of action may be captivated by the overlong two hour-plus movie but anyone looking for a logical plot may want to look elsewhere.

Rating: 5.5/10

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