NEW YORK (OSV News) – Writer-director Guy Ritchie puts a twist on the heist movie with “In the Grey” (Black Bear). Although clever, the film is also harshly violent. So it can only be endorsed for grown viewers who don’t object to a steady barrage of gunfire, the occasional explosion and the sight of blood here and there.
The mastermind of this plot, behind-the-scenes corporate operative Rachel Wild (Eiza González), isn’t out to steal anything. Instead, her intent is to collect on a billion-dollar debt owed to a huge Wall Street banking firm by Manny Salazar (Carlos Bardem), a powerful criminal kingpin who masquerades as a respectable businessman.
To achieve this, Rachel conceives an elaborate caper that’s only partly legal. Since Rachel’s plan includes a face-to-face meeting with Salazar on an island he controls, her top assistants in the enterprise — Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Sid (Henry Cavill) — must provide for her safe extraction if things go south.
The pace lags a bit as the team rehearse their actions and timing. Once the curtain rises, however, Ritchie ratchets up the tempo and sustains it.
Moviegoers will likely appreciate the atmosphere, blending elegance and menace, Ritchie succeeds in conjuring up, though the vulgar macho exchanges between Bronco and Sid are less welcome. They constitute another reason even mature patrons should think twice before choosing this rough-edged adventure.
The film contains frequent mayhem with some gore, at least one use of profanity, pervasive rough language, a couple of crude expressions, a few crass terms, an obscene gesture and a coarse image. The OSV News classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
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