Review: ‘In The Grey’

Action movies become a regular source of enjoyment and entertainment for this Daily Tribune columnist thanks to Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix and as John Wick, Jason Statham (The Transporter, The Beekeeper, The Meg) and all of Matt Damon in The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum and Jason Bourne.

All of the movies mentioned in the previous paragraph have all the elements of great action movies such a relatable, vulnerable and handsome protagonist, a narrative that hooks and what happens in the story telling is plausible and that the high-octane and testosterone infused, well-choreographed  fight scenes and chase drives bring the character development of the lead, ample space and time for the antagonist to raise havoc, and a satisfying finish, which may or may not end in tragedy for the hero.

 When the invite for In The Grey arrived, three names made me say yes to it, Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal and its director, the ex-husband of Madonna, father of Rocco, Guy Ritchie.

You don’t say no to a movie with Cavill and Gyllenhaal pulverizing the bad guys and with Ritchie lording the film, expect the unexpected from this latest action opus.

What works

Everything that one can expect from a Ritchie directed slam bang kind of an action movie, this latest one currently showing in cinemas, In the Grey possesses them.  High energy action sequences, check. Extended physical brawls and running, double check. There is no limit to my camera work and capturing the energy, frenzy and grit of a scene with my hand-held, body camera and expansive shots, triple check.  The gorgeous photography of the locations, quadruple check, and of course the narrative that contains an ensemble of easy to love and hate characters, a major persona in the movie whose inner monologue you can hear, and the sudden fast forwards, flashbacks, situational tensions and resolutions, checking these all, times five!

Cavill and Gyllenhaal styled to perfection, their masculine figures hugged their garments made of linen and cotton, paired with barrel or khaki pants, city shorts. The expensive aviator shades.  The oh-so-manly facial stubbles and to choose who is more handsome between Henri and Jake, is quite a dilemma.  

What I found lacking, the two leads were always fully clothed, no moments in the movie for them to show skin and scantily covered bulges.

Eiza Gonzales as Sophia had an A-lister screen presence and that she was not a decorative damsel in distress was a clever touch. Her make up was flawless with no visible facial pores. Perspiration did not belong to her physicality and despite trying hard to look disheveled and messy, still Gonzales was devastatingly as the in-the-grey lawyer.

 Of the supporting cast, Jason Wong as Gucci and Carlos Bardem as Manny Salazar intrigued me to the point I researched their body of work after watching the Ritchie directed movie.

For its pulse-pounding action that makes you catch your breath, morally ambiguous and complex characters, elite power duo of Henry Cavill and Jake Gyleenhall portraying Sid and Bronco, Eiza Gonzales’ infusing Sofia with the powerful feminine, and how the narrative pursued and presented the lawlessness and justice, tactics that works and failed strategies, and how good gets a beating at times, but eventually triumphs, these are my enumerations on why Guy Ritchie’s In The Grey is a worthwhile and deserving of your hard earned pesos and time kind of action movie.

Guy Ritchie’s In the Grey, distributed by CreaZion Studios International is now showing in Philippine cinemas.