The recent churning out of bland and mediocre films by the entertainment industry has left many viewers disappointed. The filmmakers try their best to patch things up by featuring iconic stars and yet, it's like adding fuel to fire!
I see Ana de Armas and Chris Evans on this film's poster and I'm charmed. I'm also excited from their pose that romance is involved and I'm hoping it will be captivating. The entire running time of one hour, and fifty-six minutes turns out to be a waste but not totally. Once again, Ana de Armas wins viewers over with her performance.
Ghosted (2023), is a romantic action comedy where Cole Turner (played by Chris Evans), a farmer/historian meets a mysterious lady, Sadie (played by Ana de Armas) at the market. He grudgingly sells her a plant after an intense bickering about which plant needs less care and attention. The two spend the whole day and night together and end up in bed.
The next day, Cole tries to contact Sadie and sends her a bunch of texts and emojis. He gets no response and his sister mocks him, saying he's been 'ghosted'. Yet his family convinces him to go looking for his girl after a tracker he put on his inhaler in Sadie's possession indicates she's in London.
As Cole makes the romantic gesture of travelling to London and he's immediately kidnapped by a torturer, Borislov (played by Tim Blake Nelson), who believes Cole is 'The Taxman', an operative with the passcode to a bio-weapon named “Aztec”. Confused and a stranger in London, Cole looks death in the eye. Who will come to his aid? Is Sadie more than she claimed to be?
Review
After watching this film, I wished they never shot it or maybe the four screenwriters had done a better job of writing something impressive, worthy of these two stars' image and performance. A farmer meets a girl, falls for her and discovers she's a CIA operative. Surely, any cinephile can see from a mile away that this is a common plot in most action comedies but this film could surpass other films if more effort was put into it.
**
There are some things wrong with this film so I'll spell them out:
Cliché
Viewers love it when a couple in love bicker while trying to sort out their feelings. In Ghosted, it was overdone. In my opinion, the bickering and bantering between the gunshots, explosions, and car chase that comprise most of the plot are a little awkward and a bit cliché, typical of similar scenes in Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Knight and Day.
I see these scenes as a complete waste of time borne from a lack of creative imagination. I'm unhappy writing this negative review because these two actors are part of my favourites (Ana de Armas more than Chris Evans). I'll rush to watch any of their films in a heartbeat.
It's a little sad how this film turned out. I don't blame these actors since they work with the script they are given. But when I learned they are a part of the production team, I'm a little disappointed. More blame should go to the screenwriters and the director, Dexter Fletcher.
Disjointed Action Sequences
Another part of the film I'll comment on is the action sequences. I always love films that feature ladies as badass and tough protagonists. Ana de Armas did great portraying a CIA operative. She has a good handle on the gunfights but not so much on the fight parts.
Chris Evan plays the part of a farmer but somewhere couldn't help throwing in some good punches and displaying expert use of guns. Are most farmers that good in these areas? I'm not sure but his alter ego, Captain America, must have found these scenes too tempting to lay low and play 'the damsel in distress'.
The ideas behind the action sequences are captivating but a little exaggerated. The shooting is disengaging and so ordinary. There was nothing spectacular about them. The scene where a bounty is placed on Cole Turner as the Taxman which features cameo appearances of well-known actors like Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie and even Ryan Reynolds is like a copycat of the bounty scene in the John Wick series. It's distracting and shows no originality. With this ensemble of cast, viewers would expect more but alas, we are left a little disappointed.
Lack Of Chemistry
Another part that defines the failure of this film is the lack of chemistry between Ana de Armas and Chris Evans! If there's one important thing in a film that viewers want more than any other is hot chemistry between the main cast, especially if romance is involved. I'm afraid these two sorely lacked it.
The consistent remarks by the other cast, "You two should get a room" is like an afterthought to mend the holes perceived in the film. Having worked together on Knives Out and The Gray Man, I expect that Ana and Chris know each other better by now and can create sexual tension and set scenes on fire romantically. Alas, it's not so!
Overall, this film is a one-time watch and very forgettable. I wouldn't recommend it but if you do, let me know your thoughts.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie