The success of ‘John Wick’ by surprise revolutionized the production companies of half the world. Suddenly, it was not necessary for a young man with more hours in the gym than on a film set to take seven submachine guns to attract the public: all it took was an unlikely action hero who went around smashing jaws and taking lives following the course of an a priori impossible revenge. And from those ashes, the fire of ‘Nobody’.
the unlikeliest hero
Bob Odenkirk is one of the most charismatic actors of the last decades: thanks to him, ‘Better call Saul’ (and to a large extent, ‘Breaking Bad’) were television milestones. Born in the essential comedy and, at the same time, unprecedented in Spain, ‘Mr. Show’, Odenkirk has done drama, comedy, animation, you name it. But, action hero? At 55 years old? That’s for sure he wasn’t in anyone’s pool.
And yet ‘Nobody’ works for exactly that. Because Bob Odenkirk is not the actor that any casting director would have cast as the lead in an action saga, but as soon as you see the first fight on the film you know that it can only be him, educated in comedy and so far removed from “tough guy” roles that you can only admire his dedication to giving, receiving and ending up with a bruised face.
The comparison with ‘John Wick’ is not trivial: In the end, the studio behind both franchises is the same, 87North Productions, which is also behind other modern adrenaline gems like ‘Bullet train’ or ‘Kate’. And yes, of course there is talk of a possible crossover, albeit subtle. After the ‘Nobody’ bombing, which raised three and a half times what it cost, how could they not want to have him hand in hand with Keanu Reeves?
nobody knows anything
The best thing about ‘Nobody’ is that it shows that Bob Odenkirk puts all the meat on the grill: He could step aside and let the stuntmen do it for him, but he’d rather take the Tom Cruise way of life. In other words, do not deceive the spectator, get in shape and show it in each punch and each shot tiredness, maturity and, deep down, how well he is having a good time being the action hero for once.
Of course: no matter how much he does not stop pointing out the comic background of Odenkirk, ‘Nobody’ does not exude irony. It’s a serious action movie, and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. At no time are you going to see a cut to say a funny phrase or some kind characters having fun with each other: it takes little time to change the chip and realize that the actor manages to show himself as a tough guy no need to use the comedy safety net. It’s brutal, it’s bloody, it’s tough and at no time does it feel like a hollow copy of ‘John Wick’.
In a time of clone cinema, interchangeable action heroes, and movies that try to create excitement by turning up the music without anything to go with it, ‘Nobody’ is a rare bird capable of entertaining by taking herself seriously, squeezing all the charisma out of an actor that had never been seen in this one, using ‘John Wick’ as a way to evolve and not copy-paste. A true marvel of contemporary action cinema that you would do well not to miss. Just in case, yes, take tissues in case the blood splashes you.
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