In what's arguably a classic case of "too much testosterone syndrome," square-jawed stuntman Colt Seavers is a guy who literally gets paid to take it on the chin, problematic while trying to look cool in front of his girlfriend Jody Moreno, a camera operator with ambition to be a big-time Hollywood director. When an incident takes Colt out of the game for some time, he's lured back to take part in Jody's first movie: a big, blockbuster production that's already over budget, and naturally his presence makes it hard to keep things super profesh especially after the lead actor abruptly disappears. Clever script that's parodying the filmmaking process is infused with recognizable quotes and references, allows Gosling some funny soliloquies, and benefits from competent direction which doesn't let things get too serious. It runs long and the pace slows when monopolized by all the plot exposition, but there are plentiful laughs, great stunts (who knew?), plus Ryan and Emily look at ease playing characters you want to root for, even with the familiarity of their romance. ***
Review of The Fall Guy
