It’s a dirty job. You explode, burn, fall, and are never seen on screen. The director of the film Kaskadér, which is now showing in Czech cinemas, experienced this profession firsthand. In a new action-romantic comedy, David Leitch pays tribute to the craft that started him in Hollywood.
He once stood in for Brad Pitt, then with his debut John Wick ten years ago, he showed that he understands the genre behind the camera as well. After other pictures of excellent imaginative actions, including Atomic Blonde or last year’s Bullet Train, David Leitch returns in a way in the film Stuntman.
Not that he would be controlling a car himself, which is destined to make eight turns in the air before exploding. But he put actor Ryan Gosling behind the wheel, which shows that even stuntmen can play a leading role.
Although not quite. The new film is a playful journey through the world in front of the camera and behind the camera, which looks a bit like a sixteen-year-old admirer of action cinema made a romance. In the beginning, Gosling manages to confess his love for the cinematographer of the film he is currently working on. However, a romance with Jody, played by actress Emily Blunt, is soon put to an end by an injury in a stunt gone wrong.
And Colt Seavers – what else should a tough stuntman be called – will be separated from the world by explosions and would probably still be parking cars somewhere in a small bistro today, if the producer of this project did not call him, during which he seriously injured his back. Jody is making her directorial debut and is said to have specifically requested it.
As it turns out, things are a bit more complicated. Not only is the disgruntled ex-partner, whom Colt hasn’t heard from in months, unaware of his presence on the set. He has no idea that Colt has been given a slightly different task by the producer in addition to the stunts. To find the missing star Tom, that is, the man for whom he acted as a double for six years before the accident.
Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers shows that even stuntmen can play a leading role. | Photo: Eric Laciste
Furthermore, Drew Pearce’s script continues as a dynamic game with several genres, where you don’t always have to guess why and how the plot unfolds.
The stunt is an over-the-top and over-the-top spectacle throughout, just look at the nature of the film Jody is shooting on the Australian coast. It is supposed to be a spectacular love story in the middle of the desert, where the western sun shines and aliens in funny rubber costumes are produced. At the same time, it is immediately obvious that the picture will be partly a metaphor for Colt’s crumbling relationship with Jody.
As Colt sets out on a search and discovers that he’s stuck in something that reeks of levity, director David Leitch plays a double game with the audience.
The greatest charm of The Stuntman comes from the fact that we constantly move on the edge of grotesque or almost parody, while the action scenes are real and spectacular. Even the characters constantly delve into the biggest clichés in their dialogues, or have fun using anecdotes from well-known films from Rocky to Fast and Furious. Nevertheless, the creators manage to maintain not only tension, but also a functional romantic line.
The actress Emily Blunt wearing a lizard paw in the props room may look like she’s from a scrap film by the American studio Troma, but when she thoughtfully scratches her forehead with a claw, despite all the assumptions, the scene exudes believable emotions.
Ryan Gosling’s Colt’s relationship with Emily Blunt’s Jody is ended by an injury in a botched action stunt. | Photo: Eric Laciste
It’s the same with the event, where we constantly feel the craftsmanship and reluctance to use digital tricks. Alternatively, he is incredibly extravagant. For example, when a drugged-up Colt wrestles opponents in a nightclub, his fists leave neon trails, and the occasional unicorn walks past – acting like the most ordinary thing.
A stuntman can easily and rightfully appear to be a mash-up of cuts from other films. However, the creators manage to win the sympathy of the audience, because Colt is exactly that, a rumpled and imperfect hero who belongs in a similar group.
Pulling tricks out of the hat without restraint, the film feels like a little boy with a sugar overdose has been given access to a giant toy store where he can tinker with whatever he wants. Not all toys and tricks are great, but they still work.
The stunt is based on the chemistry between the heroes and the clever mixing of elements of romance with action. And also on the playfulness of the filmmakers, who don’t stop at quoting quotes from The Fast and the Furious. After the introduction, we soon see a car chase, which is an obvious homage to the fifth part of this series, in which the heroes drag a giant safe through the city on chains.
The film contains many similar cherry blossoms. In the end, however, the main currency of the Kaskadér remains precisely the joyful mixing of different codes. Epic explosions, the famous Sydney Opera House in the background, the ubiquitous gilded decorations and so on.
The stuntman confidently straddles the path between opera and junk, blurring the distinctions between the two. And Ryan Gosling seems to be telling the audience and the American film academy that stuntmen deserve their Oscar box.
Film
Stuntman
Directed by: David Leitch
CinemArt, Czech premiere on May 2.
