Gringo squanders talented cast
Stuntman-turned-director squeezes too much into this twisty caper flick
About an hour into Gringo, a hit man tells a desperate, hapless middle manager of a pharmaceutical company who botched his own fake kidnapping in Mexico that “this s-- t show can only be the work of an amateur.” That’s perhaps too harsh a takedown of the film itself, a comedy-thriller directed by Nash Edgerton — whose IMDb credits include more than 100 entries as a stuntman, but only one other feature film. Gringo is sometimes funny and thrilling, but mostly squanders its talented ensemble
cast by paying too much attention to its weak links and completely ignoring its strong ones. The action follows our protagonist Harold Soyinka (David Oyelowo) as he’s chosen to manage his company’s Mexico-based facility by his bosses Elaine (Charlize Theron) and Richard (Joel Edgerton, brother of the director). While there, Harold discovers that the unscrupulous pair are intending to sell the company, thus eliminating the job he despises but desperately needs. Harold and his wife (an underused Thandie Newton) have racked up thousands in debt by living well above their means. What else is a deceived underling to do but plan his own kidnapping to try to scam his way into some insurance money? Of course, neither Richard nor Elaine has any intention of paying the ransom, and since they let their insurance policy lapse, the two bosses call in a former mercenary to deal with the situation. Then, twists ensue. Twist after twist after twist. But there are only so many twists you can throw at the audience in the first two acts before they expect and predict every turn in the final act. There are some bright spots, though: Oyelowo, in a rare comedic turn, is a joy to watch. As the unlucky in love and life Harold, he finds his own happiness in singing along to Will Smith’s Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It in his car on the way to the job that’s killing his spirit. Though Richard is a one-note character (he’s that pompous boss who says things like “He’s a nice guy, but he never grew a pair”), Edgerton wears his sliminess amusingly well. And then there’s Theron. As Elaine, the ruthless executive who’s cunning and cutting, shrewd and lewd, Theron proves her versatility yet again, nailing every bit of comedy her character requires. When she catches her man with another woman, she cries but then quickly gives herself a pep talk in her rearview mirror: “Are you crying ? Get your s--t together and go handle your business,” she icily convinces herself. “Scotland Yard is in England, some things don’t make sense,” she is later heard yelling at a subordinate. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to save a film that feels too derivative of vastly superior originals. While several critics have already made unfavourable comparisons to the Coen brothers, Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino, it’s probably worth noting that one of the director’s credits as a stuntman include The Nice Guys.
Gringo feels very much like an attempt at a Shane Black film — it’s set up to be a frenetic caper movie — but it falls short on almost all fronts, including the biting humour and genuine excitement that make The Nice Guys or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang such an enjoyable experience.