The Gray Man, a Netflix original after a brief theatrical run, will hold a unique appeal in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, thanks to actor Dhanush. But in the two-hour movie, he only plays a little part that lasts for approximately 15 minutes. He only gives a wink, yet it leaves an impression. As a paid assassin, Avik San, trying to kill Ryan Ghosling’s Sierra Six, the “ Tamil friend” has nothing much to give. He must have received a deluge of congratulations from his fans, I’m sure. I genuinely wonder how he was able to obtain these profound lines, which were adapted by Joe Russo, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely from Mark Greaney’s book of the same name. This has been his signature achievement in Tamil film.
But The Gray Man is not about Dhanush; it is about ruthless killing, double-crossing and saving one’s skin with Six – a convict hired by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to be among its group of cold-blooded killers. After he discovers a deadly secret that will put many heads on the block. In order to catch Six, the Agency hires Chris Evans’ Lloyd Hansen. Some of the scenes portray Hansen—a psychopathic killer who delights in hurting others—as a virtual monster. A kidnapping scenario involving a teenage girl who is being held hostage while having a pacemaker keep her heart beating is thrown into the mix.
And that pretty well sums up the plot; the filmmakers could not have been ignorant that The Gray Man has elements of Jason Bourne, John Wick, and Shooter.
The performances were nothing special, especially considering how action-packed the narrative style was and how little they varied. Gosling performed admirably in The Notebook and La La Land, but it appears that he now wants to play a Hollywood version of the renowned French actor Alain Delon. Gosling’s prior charisma (in Crazy Stupid Love) has vanished; in its place, he now plays an emotionless, wooden character with a poker face.
Rege-Jean Page, who was captivating in the Regency drama Bridgerton, plays the boss of the Agency but fades into the background partly due to a poorly written role.
It’s not much different with Ana de Armas; she excelled in both Knives Out and Sergio as a nurse to a family patriarch and as a United Nations official (styled on an Agatha Christie work). Like Gosling, she is wasted.
The Gray Man Cast: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Regé-Jean Page, Dhanush
The Gray Man Directors: Russo Brothers
Streaming Platform: Netflix
The Gray Man Stars: 3/5
