Movies

A Working Man only sporadically works like a charm

BBG News

The narrative, titled “A Working Man” (inspired by Chuck Dixon’s book Levon’s Trade), revolves around Levon Cade, a former combatant who has had his fill of warfare. He detests the idea of being a mechanic and instead lives a peaceful life as a construction worker under Joe Garcia’s supervision (portrayed by Michael Peña). However, this idyllic existence on the homefront is shattered when the ruthless human traffickers Viper (Emmett J. Scanlan) and Artemis (Eve Mauro) abduct Garcia’s daughter. She finds herself in the clutches of a powerful faction of the Russian mafia, headed by Symon Kharchenko (Andrew Kaminsky).

To begin with, Cade initially disregards Gracia’s requests for aid due to his challenging situation as a single father battling for visitation rights to his daughter. Any violent actions could risk damaging that bond. However, he eventually sets aside his gruff demeanor and vows to retrieve Jenny safely. This endeavor will involve dealing with numerous Russian mobsters and finally putting his long-hidden combat abilities to use. Surprisingly, Cade’s unpredictable nature becomes an asset as the Fury of Man is released upon the Russian gangsters who took Jenny captive.

Surprisingly, it’s not the fight choreographer or Statham who steals the show as the Most Valuable Player for “A Working Man”; instead, that title goes to the film’s costume designer, Tiziana Corvisieri. With her exceptional work on this action movie, she leaves no doubt in our minds with the stunning attire she created. A seasoned professional from John Carney films, Corvisieri immerses all of “A Working Man’s” antagonists in flamboyantly over-the-top villains. One notable adversary strides into the final battle draped in chain mail armor across his shoulders. Symon Kharchenko carries a golden cane embellished with a skull, while two henchmen who seem like they could be Uncle Fester and “Succession’s” Cousin Greg if they lived in an Avenged Sevenfold concert mosh pit, are memorable for their gleaming, glittery jackets.

In an unusual setting where flashy Russian gangsters sport bucket hats and vibrant attire, Levon Cade embarks on a rescue mission. Even the gangster’s wife, briefly appearing, dons a stylish light purple Pilates outfit that catches the eye. Despite its simplicity, A Working Man manages to offer amusing entertainment by showcasing the extravagant outfits that appear on screen. Kudos to Tiziana Corvisieri for incorporating outfits reminiscent of Pedro Almodovar’s color palette and the flamboyant fashion sense found in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. However, beyond its eye-catching costumes, A Working Man follows a typical action movie formula and is overly complex.

As a devoted admirer, I must express my take on “A Working Man,” a collaboration between Sylvester Stallone and David Ayer (who also helms the director’s chair). In this production, they seem to have intentionally woven a convoluted second act into the narrative. This segment finds the character Cade disguising himself as a drug dealer in a bid to track down Jenny’s abductors.

This part of the story feels reminiscent of getting sidetracked by numerous secondary quests in a video game, losing sight of the main objective. Scenes of Cade interacting with drug dealers at pancake houses or sticking up photos of potential suspects on hotel walls drag on interminably.

The intricate plot twists employed in this narrative are enough to deplete any tension that might have otherwise existed, making it feel as if the story has wandered too far off its intended path.

In this portion of “A Working Man,” there are unexpected, leisurely conversations inserted, such as when Cade has a casual discussion with old comrade Gunny Lefferty (David Harbour). These moments seem to lessen the intensity of finding Jenny, which is puzzling. Additionally, Ayer and Stallone immediately disclose the identity of Jenny’s kidnappers, making the central mystery for Cade less engaging. Essentially, it feels like the story takes a series of pauses before reaching its predictable ending.

Movies frequently focus more on the journey than the final outcome. Despite some impressive action scenes in “A Working Man”, these could have masked certain narrative flaws. Unfortunately, this film is directed by David Ayer, who is known for his work on “End of Watch”, “Suicide Squad”, and “Fury”. However, Ayer’s action sequences are not typically praised for their clarity or visual appeal. In the case of “A Working Man”, the fight scenes fall short in both editing and cinematography. What’s disappointing is that these fight scenes rely heavily on gunfights and bullets flying around. When films consist mainly of people shooting at each other from across a room, they can become incredibly dull quickly.

In a comparison of action films, the intense, violent scenes in “A Working Man” can’t compete with modern counterparts, such as the masterful fight sequences in “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In”. The occasional use of torture techniques like waterboarding appears incongruous in a film that leans towards the cartoonish. This is not an uncommon trope in American action films to be sure, but it’s still a rather unoriginal approach. Despite this, Ayer manages to avoid the heavy use of nauseating grey and blue tones as seen in “Fury” and “Suicide Squad”. Similar to his last collaboration with Statham, “The Beekeeper”, “A Working Man” employs brightly lit interiors to give key scenes a unique color palette. For instance, rooms where meth deals are planned are bathed in red light. Moreover, Artemis and Viper take Jenny to one client whose apartment is awash with vibrant purple hues.

Regarding the sequence of events, “A Working Man” is rather ordinary. In terms of emotional resonance, it fails to impress. The father-daughter relationship in Cade’s life lacks authenticity, making it difficult to connect with the character. His fight against human trafficking is primarily motivated by his role as a father, specifically his concern for a college-aged woman who has been kidnapped. This is reminiscent of the movie “Next Goal Wins,” where men empathize with women only when they perceive them as their daughters. It seems that in this film, women are considered to have no humanity except through the lens of family ties.

Despite its eccentricities and absurd touches, Ayer’s creation indeed has its moments. For example, Artemis and Viper are over-the-top caricatures reminiscent of Pokemon’s Jesse and James, or even John Lithgow in Cliffhanger. The bizarrely complex Chicago Russian mafia backstory also elicited a few laughs due to its incomprehensible nature. Lastly, there’s an unusual line from Gunny Lefferty that keeps lingering in my mind.

In the scene where Lefferty displays his weapons to Cade, he compares one gun to a Chevy Impala in the War on Terror. This collection of words is harder to understand than Andrei Tarkovsky’s film Mirror. Compared to other Jason Statham action films, A Working Man may not be remarkable, but it certainly provides odd lines like Lefferty’s comparison or Corvisieri’s costume designs. It has more merits than what Ayer’s Bright offered, at least.

Read More

2025-03-28 21:15

Previous post Worldcoin Traders: Why You Might Want to Bet on a 20% Price Surge This Week!
Next post Lauren Sanchez’s Ridiculous $5,750 Coffee Cup Bag