In the Netflix thriller The Gray Man, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Ryan Gosling is Court Gentry, a.k.a., Sierra Six, was a CIA-trained assassin who was plucked from a federal penitentiary. However, he was recruited by his handler Donald Fitzroy (played by Billy Bob Thornton). Gentry was previously a highly proficient, authorized death trader by the Agency. The roles have now been reversed, and Sierra Six is the target of Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former CIA coworker who will do anything to eliminate him. But Ana de Armas’ character, agent Dani Miranda has his back.
Reasons Why You Should Watch The Gray Man:
Yes, we have Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans in the mix, but there are far more convincing reasons why you should mark your calendars on July 22 for the premiere of The Gray Man on Netflix:
It’s Directed by the Russo Brothers
Comedy and Action royalty, the Russo Brothers, are going out of their usual route once again after being tapped by Marvel for The Avengers and Captain America franchises and being the creators of comedy sitcom favorites Arrested Development and Community. The brothers are able to reverse their filmmaking skills smoothly and incorporate ideas and styles in different film genres. We’re pretty sure that The Gray Man would be another great production from them.
The Gray Man was Based on Mark Greaney’s Critically-Acclaimed and Best-selling Novel
The Gray Man is based on the novel by Mark Greaney of the same title. When asked why the novel appealed to the Russo Brothers, Anthony said, “When we read it, two things struck us about it. Number one was just the level of detail in Mark Greaneyโs writing. He does an immense amount of research, and you can really feel that in the granular level of detail and in the inventiveness that he has in terms of finding interesting places to take the character and interesting problems to create for the character. Itโs clear that it comes from immense real-world research, which we really liked.“
As a critically-acclaimed novel, The Gray Man was based on spies and other CIA operatives. The books show how these spies handle the tough jobs they have, as well as other more secretive aspects, especially when there are crises that make them go beyond their basic duties.
RELATED: Watch: Netflixโs The Gray Man Trailer
I’m confident that The Russo Brothers could give justice to the book, so I’m super stoked about the film! You should too!
The All-Star Cast
The story goes beyond the film’s amazing cast, but I feel the obligation to mention them.
In the press conference, Ryan Gosling said that The Gray Man was one of the most physically-daunting film preparation he’s had, but the humble actor didn’t fail to mention all the great help he got from his stuntmen, as well as his trainers. We’re looking forward to seeing all the incredible scenes (of different martial arts and other fighting styles) by Gosling and his stunt team.
The Russo Brothers chose Ryan Gosling for the character because “the thing about Ryan is heโs a master of little moments. He can give you a very complex inner life by doing very little. Thatโs really a rare and magic gift,” said Anthony. And we really agree with their statement!
Another complex character is played by Billy Bob Thornton. His character, Donald Fitzroy, is ruthless, highly-skilled, and cold-blooded. Like Gentry, Fizroy’s character should be devoid of emotions to carry on with their dangerous tasks. Billy Bob Thornton was able to balance out being a cold-blooded gentleman, while being protective of his family and the spies under him.
RELATED: The Adam Project Review: A Wholesome Action-Comedy Movie
I have never pictured Chris Evans as a villain, but this time, he has a chance to show everyone how a “bad man” he could be, and a great one at that, especially since he was chosen by The Russo Brothers. I’m looking forward to his performance.
The Gray Man Themes
The Gray Man is heavy on social and political commentary. According to the Russo Brothers, the film says a lot about what’s happening in the world today–about how there’s a need for us to rebel against a corrupt and deceitful system.
“Anthony and I worked very hard through rewrites and with the cast to bring ideas to the table that feel current and organic and fresh, and we love some of these thrillers because of their thematic complexity, and The Gray Man fits right in. Itโs got a complicated main hero, and a complicated ending, and it asks questions about who you can trust and whether you can trust the establishment. There are themes about the modern world, how complex it is, how dangerous it is, and how hard it is to understand what anyone wants anymore. And weโve reflected on our fears about the world in this story. I feel like any of these characters could help us, as storytellers, explore those different themes,” Jose said.
The Gray Man will premiere globally on Netflix on July 22, 2022.
About the Writer
