Jay Rohr
Based primarily on the documentary The Devil at Your Heels (1981), the biographical The Stunt Driver steers towards sentiment. What could have been a crass comedy mocking its main subject instead earnestly romanticizes the reality that inspired this view of a man chasing immortality.
Jay Baruchel (BlackBerry) stars as Ken “The Mad Canadian” Carter. He’s a stunt driver who aims to launch a rocket-powered car over the Saint-Laurent River. Everyone tells him the mile wide gap can’t be jumped safely, but ignoring all odds, Ken doggedly pursues the goal even as it seems to only become more improbable. The result is a five-year long quest, a million dollars scraped together and spent, mostly erecting a 10-storey take-off ramp as well as constructing the dangerous, albeit ambitious vehicle. However, each step forward takes him farther from friends and family, leaving Ken wondering if achieving his ambition will be worth the price.
The Stunt Driver could easily have turned its source material into the butt of a joke. Instead, writer-director Michael Dowse tackles the central subject sincerely. While there is plenty of humor, it comes not from mocking Ken Carter but rather showcasing the inadvertently absurd ways he is surprisingly inspiring. For instance, he occasionally speaks in a manner that might sound buffoonish, yet he comes across genuinely poetic due to the intense feeling with which he says certain things. In other words, though he may not have an eloquent silver tongue, there’s a resonating honesty to much of what he says.
The movie is largely a fictional reenactment of the documentary crew capturing the events leading up to the big jump. As such, The Stunt Driver plays out like a behind the scenes recording of that film. Director Dowse does a marvelous job of capturing the visual aesthetic of a 70s era flick while a soundtrack featuring tunes by rockers like Michael Pagliaro and Graham Nash add to the vibe. Meanwhile, cinematographer Sara Mishara completes the picture by providing the cinematic texture it needs to have the right personality on screen.
Part of this involves visuals shifts which often change the tone of the overall feature. Segments in 4×3 16mm convey the documentary portions then scenes shift to 2.39 anamorphic footage making it clear that a whole other vibe is present. Often this means that Ken drops the persona he’s trying to cement in celluloid. The result is a remarkable performance from Baruchel as he alternates between the cavalier attitude of a man trying to be quotable and a person genuinely growing concerned his dreams may exceed his grasp.
How Ken wants to be regarded contrasted against how he really is makes him incredibly relatable. Plus, it’s familiar territory for the filmmakers. Back in 2011, Baruchel helped pen Goon, a cult classic about a hockey player with a skill no one regards as a talent, and in 2002, Dowse composed the comedy FUBAR, a mockumentary about Canadian head-bangers living life on their own terms. Elements of both concepts can be seen here.
Laurence Leboeuf (Shoresy) quietly plays Gloria, Ken’s lover, who keeps him relatively grounded. However, despite some superbly subtle moments, her presence seems a waste given how little this multiple award-winning performer is given to do. Ed Helms (The Hangover) portrays Dick Keller, the designer of the rocket car. Perpetually voicing reason earns him some laughs, but more often, he’s at his best when genuinely trying to talk Ken out of the jump.
Compare that with Dan Bakkehdal (Veep) effortlessly being a sleazy moneyman who couldn’t care less if the stunt driver dies, so long as the footage sells. Joe Cobden (Living in Your Car) is solid as the documentarian inadvertently becoming friends with his subject. Finally, Ben Foster (Hell or High Water) rounds out the cast in another fantastic transformation turning into the legendary Evel Knievel, a rival daredevil who may be the only person who truly understands Ken’s ambitions.
If the film has any flaws worth regarding, it’s that dialogue too often turns into pep rally speeches. Although characters get to dump loads of sentiment in a monologue, these can be a tad repetitive. That’s because it tends to be the same conversations over and over as individuals express their feelings for one another directly. All subtlety goes out the window as characters make their emotions plain. Fortunately, the film is a tight 99-minutes, so such imperfections have minimal impact on the overall fun of the whole flick.
Chock full of comedy as well as meaningful emotions, The Stunt Driver lands right on target. It jumps clear of shameless mockery to offer something inspiringly sentimental. Jay Baruchel is outstanding, conveying every facet of this fabulously flawed fellow. This is the kind of movie meant for dreamers who need to refuel their perseverance.
The Stunt Driver is a marvelous reminder that long before the internet people were still inclined to doing crazy, stupid things for attention. Not because the daredevils behind such actions were themselves lunatic morons, but rather, someone always wants to watch an irrational act prove the improbable is within reach. To a certain extent, the quest for a legacy by any means necessary is part of the film’s charm. After all, anyone can relate to a desire to be remembered, especially for an accomplishment no one else ever dared to do.
