's " Rise of the Planet of the Apes: New World " released last week is a reboot of the classic IP. The background is set in the future world and uses the ultimate visual effects technology to create a fantasy world. The action comedy "The Fall Guy", which has been released since May 17, is an original story. As its title indicates, it focuses on real physical battles and a desperate fight. The former is the current trend of major Hollywood studios, while the latter is becoming increasingly rare.
"Stuntman" trailer. (02:59)
"Stunt Man" won a good reputation when it debuted at this year's South by Southwest Film Festival. After it was officially released in North America and other places at the beginning of this month, it was also recognized by film critics and audiences. It still has a freshness rating of 82% and a popcorn index of 87% on the film review website "Rotten Tomatoes".
"Stuntman" finalized poster
Ryan Gosling, who gained popularity for his role as Barbie's boyfriend Ken, plays Colter Silvers, one of Hollywood's top stuntmen. Because of a mistake, he was not only seriously injured and lost confidence in continuing his career, but he also unilaterally broke off contact with his girlfriend Jodi ( Emily Blunt ). When he learned that Jodi finally got the chance to be a director, he hesitated but agreed to the producer's request and returned to the set to start his old job. However, Jody refused to look good on him and repeatedly made things difficult for him on the set. On the other hand, the film's star, action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), goes missing. Seeing that his sweetheart's hard work might be in vain, Colt had to secretly search for Tom, but unexpectedly got involved in a murder case...
Ryan Gosling as Colt Silvers
Emily Blunt (left) as Jody
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tom Ryder
"Stuntman" is directed by David · who has directed "Bullet Train", "Deadpool 2" and "Fast and Furious: Special Ops" Made by Leitch. From his work resume, it is not difficult to see that Leitch has a special liking for action movies. What is more worth mentioning is that before becoming a director, he had 20 years of experience in stunt performance and was once a full-time stunt double for Brad Pitt. , so "Bullet Train" is actually not the first time the two have collaborated.
While serving as Pitt's stunt double in "Fight Club," Leitch was inspired by David Fincher to have the idea of making his own movie. Later, by participating in the actual filming of " John Wick " and other films, he gradually transformed from a stuntman to a full-time director, and established the Northern 87 Production Company with his wife Kelly McCormick.
Talking about his early work, Leitch once said, "Those 20 years of stunt work were the foundation of my career. I was beaten, walked on a tightrope, crashed, and caught fire... My love for film production was my motivation. I passed and Through years of cooperation between various departments, I have learned the filmmaking model from the inside out. If you let me stop being a director and go back to being a stunt coordinator, I would still be very happy because I would be creating art with my friends on the film set. , is my favorite thing to do.”
Director David Leitch (left) on the set of the street racing scene
His professional background and his love for action films made David Leitch become the star of “Stunt Mania” "Best Director candidate. And he also "smuggled in private goods" and arranged many scenes in the film to pay tribute to classic action film and television works such as "Miami Vice" and " The Bourne Supremacy", as well as one thrilling original action scene after another. , including rapid falls from high altitude, close combat, ship leaps and explosions, highway car chases, helicopter jumping, etc.
"Stuntman" stills
It is particularly worth mentioning that stunt actor Logan Holaday also completed a high-pressure cannon rollover that rolled eight and a half times out of thin air during the filming, breaking stunt actor Adam Curley's 2006 "Stuntman" stunt. 007: Casino Royale's seven-turn Guinness World Record.
The crew completed a high-pressure cannon rollover of eight and a half turns, setting a new record during filming.
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt were nominated for the Actor Award at this year's Oscars. They played two roles in the film. A pair of happy enemies. Unlike "Barbie " which mostly used close-ups and medium shots, Gosling's whole body appeared in many scenes in "Stuntman", showing a completely different charm of the character.
Regarding the reason for taking on this movie, he once said, "It feels very real to set the background of an action movie among a group of people who shoot action movies, because only they really know how to complete those jobs. I When I first entered the industry, I participated in a children's action TV series called "Young Hercules". It can be said that I had a stuntman from the beginning. In my experience of shooting with a stuntman, I knew that they would perform various performances in the camera. Cool and dangerous action, and then disappear into the background and it's the actors taking over all their achievements, so I'm happy to be a part of a film where audiences can see them and hopefully let people understand what they're capable of and what they're taking. "
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt play a pair of happy enemies
It is worth mentioning that although "Stunt Man" is full of action scenes, it is not for showing off skills, but for interacting with others. The twists and turns of the plot development are closely connected. The film sets up suspense step by step from the beginning, and the mystery is not revealed until the protagonist Colt becomes a scapegoat and is wanted. In this regard, director Leitch explained: "In this movie, we gave the term 'double' a broader meaning, and it will evolve into a metaphor in various ways. Our stand-ins are not just those who fall in front of the camera. A stuntman is also a man who is unfairly blamed for something he has not done, and he is also a man who is deeply in love and is willing to risk everything to recover the love of his life."
The funny elements in "Stuntman" are also enriched. The entertainment of the film. Although the Chinese actor Weilun Hsu was a guest star, he contributed a lot of jokes; the appearance of Jason Momoa at the end was also an unexpected surprise. In addition, the chemical reaction between Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt also contains a lot of laughter.
All in all, "Stunt Man" has the characteristics of an old-school Hollywood commercial film. While blending many different types of elements together, it can achieve a just right balance to ensure that the audience who paid for the ticket can be immersed in the film. , and spent a contented time watching movies.
Finally, I need to say one more thing. The filming behind-the-scenes and Easter eggs when the subtitles appear after the main film is also very interesting. Director David Leitch revealed during a live broadcast at the premiere in China that he was influenced by Jackie Chan before choosing to enter the stuntman profession. The behind-the-scenes scenes after the main film are a hallmark of Jackie Chan movies. The difference is that the behind-the-scenes footage of "Stunt Man" features real stuntmen who participated in the filming, including parkour expert Ben Jenkin, martial artist Justin Eaton, and speed car expert Logan Holladay Gosling's four stand-ins in the film include high-altitude fall expert Troy Brown.
Interesting behind-the-scenes footage
Just from the way it ends, it is not difficult to see that director David Leitch has injected a lot of personal feelings into "Stunt Man". "In my heart, 'Stuntman' is a love letter to stuntmen and the unsung heroes of the film industry - the highly skilled and talented craftsmen who pour all their passion and energy into the art of filmmaking," Leitch said , "This is a tribute to the art director, the cinematographer, the mechanical crew, the electricians, the production assistants, the assistant directors, and everyone who gave their all to make the magic of cinema happen. This project has a special place in my heart because It has a variety of real-life stories from my experiences as a stuntman and crew member.”