In the Grey
The new Guy Ritchie film is ready to tell the story not just of the richest among the rich, but of the people who are capable of squeezing money even out of them.
The film follows Rachel Wild, a woman whose entire job revolves around collecting debts from some of the most powerful, wealthy, and sometimes outright criminal people on the planet. She is not doing it alone either — by her side are Sid and Bronco, two trusted guys who are willing not only to risk their lives for her, but also to come up with a million different plans just to keep their “mommy,” as they occasionally call her, safe. While trying to recover a billion dollars from one of these ultra-rich and ultra-dangerous figures, the perfect plan starts falling apart, forcing the group to improvise on the go.
The whole thing feels like peak Guy Ritchie. Very stylish action, expensive-looking shots, photogenic locations, eccentric camerawork — basically everything you would want from a quality action thriller. Most of the film takes place on islands where the main villain has essentially built a miniature private state for himself. The movie is filled with luxury toys, cars, weapons, and all the excess you would expect from a story about people operating on that level of wealth and corruption.
Obviously, from the premise alone, you understand that the film wants to touch on power, greed and the idea that ordinary people probably cannot even imagine what happens behind the scenes among the richest and most influential people in the world. At the same time, though, none of this is presented with excessive dramatics or some deep analytical approach to the topic. The movie handles it all in a much more entertaining and energetic way, which makes for a very easy and enjoyable watch that never feels dumb or exhausting.
And while Eiza González does a solid and effective job in her role, the real highlight of the movie is the duo of Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal. The chemistry between them is genuinely excellent, and they really bounce off each other throughout the film. Finally, Cavill gets a role where he can actually play around a bit and be more than just another muscular bodyguard type (while still being exactly that too). The movie allows its leads to be actual intellectuals and tactical geniuses. Gyllenhaal fits perfectly into that dynamic as well, and together they carry a huge part of the movie’s energy. The supporting cast mostly stays in the background and does not leave a massive impression, but everyone feels appropriately placed within the story.
In the end, In the Grey turns out to be a strong and genuinely entertaining film that never tries to pretend it is something bigger than it actually is, while also avoiding becoming another brainless excuse for random fight scenes and explosions. It is simply a well-made action thriller that knows exactly what it wants to be.
7/10
