AUSTIN, Texas (AP) 鈥� Coming nearly straight from with a truck full of Kenergy, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt rolled into the South By Southwest Film and TV Festival to premiere an affectionate, action-fueled ode to stunt work and the dedicated professionals that throw their bodies into filmmaking.
鈥淭he Fall Guy,鈥� directed by stuntman-turned-filmmaker David Leitch, was perhaps the most anticipated world premiere to hit this year鈥檚 edition of SXSW. Given that Blunt and Gosling were both coming off Sunday鈥檚 Oscars where they were each nominated 鈥� and where 鈥� the buzz was even stronger Tuesday night.
鈥淒on鈥檛 worry, I鈥檓 not going to sing. I promise,鈥� Gosling said before the film, prompting the crowd to boo.
But that was the only sound of disappointment that emanated from the raucous Austin, Texas, audience that lapped up every minute of 鈥淭he Fall Guy,鈥� an action movie loosely based on the 1980s TV series that Universal will open in theaters May 3.
In the film, Gosling stars as Colt Seavers, stunt double for a major movie star named Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who, after a back-breaking fall, is coaxed into returning to set to work on the sci-fi directorial debut of his lost love (Blunt). 鈥淭he Fall Guy鈥� has wall-to-wall action set pieces, both staged in the movie-within-the-movie and that occur in off-set adventures.
鈥淲e really wanted to celebrate crews and the magic behind the scenes,鈥� said Leitch, who was Brad Pitt鈥檚 stunt double, among others, before making his first feature, 2014鈥檚 鈥淛ohn Wick.鈥� His last film, also starred Pitt.
But that clever bit of casting had nothing on the playful role reversals of 鈥淭he Fall Guy.鈥� It features a megawatt A-lister playing a stuntman whose face is treated like a liability for movie, acting alongside many of the stunt workers who actually worked on 鈥淭he Fall Guy.鈥� That includes Logan Holladay, who performed Gosling鈥檚 stunts, like a record-breaking car crash with 8 1/2 rolls.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a moment in the film where he buckles me in for a stunt he鈥檚 about to do. And after it happens, I come out of the car and he pats me on the back for a stunt he just did,鈥� Gosling said. 鈥淲hat I love about this movie is that in any other film you would not know that, but in this film, you do.鈥�
The SXSW premiere of 鈥淭he Fall Guy鈥� came with some of its own stunts. A pair of motorcycles sped through the crowds milling outside the Paramount Theater before Blunt and Gosling arrived in the back of a pick-up.
Blunt and Gosling weren鈥檛 the only ones fresh from the Academy Awards. Leitch and his wife, Kelly McCormick, (a producer on 鈥淭he Fall Guy鈥�) produced a clip reel of stunts for the telecast. Though stunt performance isn鈥檛 an Oscar category (a sore point that comes up in 鈥淭he Fall Guy鈥�), Leitch thinks it will happen soon. The academy recently voted
鈥淚 do feel it鈥檚 changing,鈥� Leitch said. 鈥淚 think the academy wants it and it鈥檚 going to happen.鈥�
But, in the meantime, 鈥淭he Fall Guy鈥� seeks to give stunt performers 鈥� among other crew members 鈥� a moment in the spotlight.
鈥淭here are so many cynical movies about movie making. But the truth is in my experience, everyone cares so much,鈥� Gosling said. 鈥淓ven if it鈥檚 a prop, even if it鈥檚 a mug, the prop person will bring out 10 mugs and will have broken one of the handles and glued it back because they thought maybe it broke at one point but has sentimental value to you.鈥�
Sentiment plays more of a role in 鈥淭he Fall Guy鈥� than you might think, too. Though Leitch said it was initially less prominent in the film, Gosling urged him to expand the love story component. 鈥淭he Fall Guy鈥� may exalt anonymous film workers, but it鈥檚 lifted by the charisma and chemistry of its two leading stars.
鈥淓mily could create chemistry with a trash can,鈥� Gosling said of Blunt, who was nominated for her supporting performance in the
Another 鈥淔all Guy" co-star 鈥� an attack dog that responds only to commands in French 鈥� had particular poignance for Gosling.
鈥淓va (Mendes) and I used to have a dog named Hugo who was a Belgian malinois, who was an attack dog. And he only spoke French," Gosling said. "He鈥檚 passed now and this is my homage to him. I miss that dude. He was a bon garcon.鈥�
But in countless ways, the greatest romance in 鈥淭he Fall Guy鈥� is for the movies. Among those that get specifically name-checked are 鈥淩ocky" and 鈥淭he Last of the Mohicans." In those films and others, the bruising toil of stunt workers is designed to be invisible. 鈥淭he Fall Guy鈥� flips the script.
鈥淚 have to say," Gosling said, "I'm Ryan Gosling and I did almost none of my own stunts in this movie.鈥�
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
