Shadows on the Wall | A Working Man

A Working Man

dir David Ayer
scr Sylvester Stallone, David Ayer
prd Sylvester Stallone, Bill Block, John Friedberg, Chris Long, Kevin King Templeton
with Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng, David Harbour, Merab Ninidze, Michael Pena, Arianna Rivas, Isla Gie, Maximilian Osinski, Emmett J Scanlan, Eve Mauro, Chidi Ajufo, Cokey Falkow
release US/UK 28.Mar.25
25/US Black Bear 1h56

TORONTO FILM FEST

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Almost shockingly lazy, there's nothing even slightly original about this action thriller, which is essentially a Taken remake. The film is bombastic and boneheaded, from the blunt script and thuggish characters to the corny production design. It is also infused with violent machismo, drooling over big guns and shiny cars. Perhaps filmmakers David Ayer and Sylvester Stallone mean this to be mindless entertainment, but any laughs are unintentional.

Construction foreman Levon (Statham) vows to help his boss Joe (Pena) when his sparky daughter Jenny (Rivas) is kidnapped by Russian goons. Levon has been hiding his military history, but quickly springs into action, tracking down mobster Wolo (Flemyng), whose son Dimi (Osinski) has gone rogue. While Wolo's powerful brother (Ninidze) tracks his every move, Levon's murderous trail leads him to local drug kingpin Dutch (Ajufo) and Dimi's snarling thugs (Scanlan and Mauro). The question is whether Levon can protect his own young daughter (Gie) and save Jenny before she's sold to the highest bidder.

Silly question. There isn't a single believable moment here. From the gigantic full moon that hangs in the background to the hackneyed bayou-style roadhouse (on the outskirts of Chicago?) to Levon's carefully rendered squalid apartment, each scene is a pileup of bad-movie cliches. The characters are just as thin, although at least they're sometimes good for a laugh as they camp up the Slavic villainy. And of course the women are resolutely feisty in this sea of toxic masculinity.

Statham barely breaks a sweat, as Levon feels like a smoothie blended from all of his previous roles. Thankfully, he's very good at scowling, shooting, stabbing, walking slowly and charming females of all ages. This includes the plucky Gie and the extra-feisty Rivas. He also gets some nice down-time opposite a scene-stealing Harbour, as his blind military buddy. Meanwhile, the Russians are all slithering monsters, chewing gleefully on the scenery while waiting for their turn to be taken out by the unstoppable Levon.

This is one of those movies in which baddies firing machine guns at point-blank range are incapable of hitting the hero with even one bullet. Because we never doubt that Levon will take out however many beefy thugs come at him, there's no tension. Everything is painfully obvious, and overpoweringly manly, so there are only brief moments in which we can take pleasure at some offhanded silliness. More of that please, if you plan to keep retelling this same story over and over again.

themes, language, violence 24.Mar.25

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