The Gray Man (2022)

[Winston T. Boogie]

Title: The Gray Man

Genre: Action, Thriller

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Wagner Moura, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush, Julia Butters, Alfre Woodard, Billy Bob Thornton, Regé-Jean Page, Eme Ikwuakor, Scott Haze, Deobia Oparei, Daz Crawford, Robert Kazinsky, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Aishwarya Sonar, Callan Mulvey

Plot: Gentry is on a mission across Europe to rescue his handler and his family from Lloyd, a former cohort of Gentry's at the CIA. Lloyd wants Gentry terminated in order to shepherd a billion-dollar oil deal in Nigeria, where the president of that country wants Gentry dead for the assassination of his brother.

 

[Malcolm R]

Gentry is on a mission across Europe to rescue his handler and his family from Lloyd

Whose family? The handler's or Gentry's?

Lloyd wants Gentry terminated

Then why doesn't Lloyd just kill Gentry? Why this convoluted "Dr. Evil" style plot involving kidnapping of other random people? Will Lloyd suspend Gentry over a pool of sharks then walk away while giving a monologue?

the president of that country wants Gentry dead for the assassination of his brother.

Whose brother? The president's or Gentry's? And since the Nigerian president also wants Gentry dead, is he sending his own hired killer to take care of Gentry or is he partnered with Lloyd and agrees that a condition of the oil deal will be that Lloyd gets rid of Gentry?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Whose family? The handler's or Gentry's?


Then why doesn't Lloyd just kill Gentry? Why this convoluted "Dr. Evil" style plot involving kidnapping of other random people? Will Lloyd suspend Gentry over a pool of sharks then walk away while giving a monologue?


Whose brother? The president's or Gentry's? And since the Nigerian president also wants Gentry dead, is he sending his own hired killer to take care of Gentry or is he partnered with Lloyd and agrees that a condition of the oil deal will be that Lloyd gets rid of Gentry?

Don't worry you will stop thinking about all of these questions the second Ana de Armas walks on screen...

See, I've already totally forgotten what we were talking about.

 

[Jeff Cooper]

That's what happened to me with No Time To Die.

 

[Keith Cobby]

That's what happened to me with No Time To Die.

Ana had a pitiful amount of screen time (shows that Bond producers really have lost the plot!) In Bond. I liked Léa Seydoux in MI4 but not so much in NTTD.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I believe this has a release date of July 15.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I've now seen the trailer, derivative but good.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Chris Evans is chewing all of the scenery in that trailer. Looks like fun.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

So, this was released this past week. I have not yet seen it but I thought it was a small action thriller...this thing apparently is the most expensive picture Netflix has ever made coming in at an outrageous $300 million. I had no idea it cost this much. WTF? Holy cow, how does this make money back on that budget and what the hell is in it that it cost $300 million?

Also, word is Ana is wonderful in this. I probably will watch it tonight. It is said to be a picture that is huge in scope so if possible, and I honestly don't know if it is, they say you should see it in a cinema.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

As I now understand it this picture is loaded with CGI and explosions...which is what I guess drove up the budget.

 

[TravisR]

...and I honestly don't know if it is, they say you should see it in a cinema.

It is playing in a handful of theaters but sorry, according to one of the directors, that's an elitist thing to say because it's expensive to go to the movies (Does he think Netflix is free?). It is worth noting that they said that it was important to go to a theater back when their Marvel products were playing in a theater.

"A thing to remember, too, is it’s an elitist notion to be able to go to a theater. It’s very fucking expensive. So, this idea that was created — that we hang on to — that the theater is a sacred space, is bullshit."

Russo Bros on ‘Everything Everywhere,’ ‘The Gray Man’ and Working With Netflix: “Nobody Bothers You”

From their massive office space in downtown L.A., the directors, who dominated the MCU, talk about their Netflix spy thriller, plans for their AGBO shingle, and Disney's next decade: "You’re going to get all the 'Star Wars' and all the Marvel you can handle."

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Sean Bryan]

I didn’t realize this was directed by the Russos. Can’t wait to check it out.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

It is playing in a handful of theaters but sorry, according to one of the directors, that's an elitist thing to say because it's expensive to go to the movies (Does he think Netflix is free?). It is worth noting that they said that it was important to go to a theater back when their Marvel products were playing in a theater.

Russo Bros on ‘Everything Everywhere,’ ‘The Gray Man’ and Working With Netflix: “Nobody Bothers You”

From their massive office space in downtown L.A., the directors, who dominated the MCU, talk about their Netflix spy thriller, plans for their AGBO shingle, and Disney's next decade: "You’re going to get all the 'Star Wars' and all the Marvel you can handle."

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Wow, they think it is elitist to go to a theater? Were they making a joke?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It’s not a joke but it’s a fair point that moviegoing is less accessible to the general public now than it’s been at other points in our history. Ticket prices have outpaced inflation by far, and theaters aren’t always located in geographically accessible areas for customers.

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay made a similar point when she made her film “13” for Netflix following her previous film “Selma” which received a traditional theatrical release. She realized that the audience she made “Selma” for was the audience most likely to be priced out of wide box office attendance and most likely to live in areas where the film wasn’t being played.

It’s really the same with any type of entertainment that has both in person and at home options. It’s far easier and cheaper and more accessible for most fans to watch their local football/baseball/basketball team on TV than it is to attend in person.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I've also heard the Russos say in another interview that they designed The Gray Man for theaters. I don't think those things are mutually exclusive. Filmmakers can design films to be played in theaters and place value on having a theatrical release and also recognize that more people are going to watch films at home.

There is also the practical reality that even for films that had really long theatrical windows back in the day, the home release is where that movie is going to live and be accessible in perpetuity.

 

[benbess]

Saw this yesterday with a friend on the big screen. Action galore. Funny sometimes. Like all the stars. But it's just absurd throughout. My rating: B-

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I've also heard the Russos say in another interview that they designed The Gray Man for theaters. I don't think those things are mutually exclusive. Filmmakers can design films to be played in theaters and place value on having a theatrical release and also recognize that more people are going to watch films at home.

There is also the practical reality that even for films that had really long theatrical windows back in the day, the home release is where that movie is going to live and be accessible in perpetuity.

They actually say that in the interview that Travis posted. I was surprised when I saw an article on the film because it was released this past week and the article mentioned the huge budget and that the film was made specifically for theaters...because it is huge in scope essentially like a Mission Impossible picture.

Here's another quote from the interview Travis linked to:

The movie is getting a theatrical release before streaming. Was that important for you?

ANTHONY RUSSO This is big cinema. We made it for a theater. That’s how we shot it, how we styled it and, on a technical level, how we supported it. But we like working with new partners. There’s something very energizing about bringing a movie like this out with Netflix. They think about ways of reaching audiences differently.

So this is meant to be a "big picture" in scale which I did not realize. I thought it was a small action film. I thought the trailer looked alright, almost like a throwback action film with funny one liners of the type you would hear in 1980s action movies.

The quote from them that Travis posted made me laugh, that here are these guys with a billion dollar company, making a $300 million picture and then at the same time calling the idea of going to the movies "elitist" which seemed as hilarious as it gets.

I mean come on...

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

It is playing in a handful of theaters but sorry, according to one of the directors, that's an elitist thing to say because it's expensive to go to the movies (Does he think Netflix is free?). It is worth noting that they said that it was important to go to a theater back when their Marvel products were playing in a theater.

Russo Bros on ‘Everything Everywhere,’ ‘The Gray Man’ and Working With Netflix: “Nobody Bothers You”

From their massive office space in downtown L.A., the directors, who dominated the MCU, talk about their Netflix spy thriller, plans for their AGBO shingle, and Disney's next decade: "You’re going to get all the 'Star Wars' and all the Marvel you can handle."

www.hollywoodreporter.com

It's kind of a nutty article where they seem not to even know what they want to say. They say the film is for theaters and then they say the idea of theaters is elitist. They also talk about Netflix going to the 45 day window for their films which is how they think it is going to go. So, they sound like guys that want it both ways or will just say whatever they think people want to hear.

They love the way pictures were made in the 1970s but they say that's gone...but you can still do it like their hero and mentor Soderbergh. It is kind of hard to take anything they say seriously.

That;s kind of a good article to look at the state of the industry.

I've not seen much from these guys and I hope The Gray Man is a success because they make the claim that they make pictures like this to help other filmmakers make smaller more interesting pictures. OK, but that sort of assumes that The Gray Man is going to be a big success...which I am not sure it is.

I mean, when you spend $300 million on a picture, I think what you get up on the screen should be pretty great. I mean you have thrown enough money at it to make it great. They have everything at their disposal. So, I guess the question becomes does this picture come across like $300 million?

 

[Ross Gowland]

Surely the $300m is a typo. $200m sounds more likely.

It was apparently released in the UK on Friday but it’s not showing at either multiplex in Brighton, nor at the other two cinemas. Weird considering it’s a massive budget action film with the star and directors of Infinity War and Endgame.

I can only assume that cinemas are boycotting it as it’s on Netflix too. You’d have thought they’d have given it a theatrical run before streaming it.