I recently watched the last couple of RG films I had to see, so they’re all ticked off the list. Yes, you heard (read?) right. All 28 of \u2018em in all their glory. And sometimes not glory, \u2018cause not all of \u2018em are great. But hey, they can\u2019t all be real heroes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
28 Frankenstein and Me<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the Ryan Gosling film I\u2019ve watched most recently and, in its defence, I\u2019m not exactly the target audience (hint: it\u2019s marketed towards kids). Ryan Gosling is essentially \u2018cool kid who rides in on cool bicycle and acts cool\u2019. The screenplay isn\u2019t exactly stellar, but then the acting ain\u2019t great either. And yes, you can get great child actors. See: Jodie Foster, Dexter Fletcher, Jack Wild and well, pretty much every key child actor in Bugsy Malone<\/em> and Oliver!<\/em> But other great child actors exist too. Anyway, to quote Bart Simpson, this kinda sucks and blows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 27 Stay<\/p>\n\n\n\n This one tries to be more clever than it is, and it suffers for it. Gosling\u2019s got that tortured artist persona going strong, but the screenplay isn\u2019t clever enough to take the narrative anywhere interesting, and some lazy editing just makes it a bit disappointing despite the impressive cast at its helm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 26 Remember the Titans<\/p>\n\n\n\n I guess the main criticism here is that Gosling just isn\u2019t in this film that much, and he doesn\u2019t make a major impact with his limited screen time. The screenplay isn\u2019t strong either, so that doesn\u2019t help. Oof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 25 The Slaughter Rule<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gosling\u2019s channelling his angst energy more here, but plot just doesn\u2019t allow him to reach his full potential. Plus, I can\u2019t see David Morse without seeing the bad guy dude from Twelve Monkeys<\/em>. There\u2019s also a kind of reverse Good Will Hunting<\/em> schtick going on which doesn\u2019t create much emotional impact here. Not that I particularly liked Good Will Hunting<\/em> much in the first place. Yeah, look at me out here with all those edgy opinions. Um, anyway…this film ain\u2019t peak Gosling. Far from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 24 Song To Song<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don’t remember a whole lot of this movie, because not much really happens. I’d essentially sum it up as ‘four sexy people walk around doing nothing’. I think some romantic hoohah happened here and there, but heck, it was pretty darn hollow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 23 Murder By Numbers<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s nice to see Gosling embrace a bit of murder here, even if the plot and actors don\u2019t quite match up. It\u2019s not like Gosling is terrible in any of the films so far, it\u2019s usually because he hasn\u2019t got the right screenplay or supporting cast. And yes, sometimes it\u2019s because he hasn\u2019t required his full acting skillset yet. But y\u2019know, he\u2019s on his way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 22 United States of Leland<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, good to see a bit of a murde vibes from the Goz here too, and he makes a decent impression as the titular loner amongst a stellar cast. He just needs a bit more practice to get in to the full on murder groove of later unhinged lads like Julian. Don’t worry. He’ll get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 21 All Good Things<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you thought Murder By Numbers<\/em> Gosling was a bit murdery, then All Good Things<\/em> Gosling is full murder mode. He plays \u2018did he do it?\u2019 guy David Marks, based on real life murderer Robert Durst (so…yes, he did do it?). There\u2019s so much ambiguity and cliche that it\u2019s hard to get engaged in the whole story despite a strong performance from Gosling. And that\u2019s not in a cool arthousey ambiguous kind of way, just a frustrating ambiguous kind of way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 20 Fracture<\/p>\n\n\n\n This used to be Gosling\u2019s most wordy film. As in the film where he speaks the most. I\u2019m not sure if it still is, but I wanted you to know that fact anyway. A bit of belief suspension is required here and there, but overall it\u2019s a fun thriller. Gosling is on good form as he tries to solve a murder case, and he\u2019s certainly enigmatic. He\u2019s just better, in, well, the following movies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 19 Gangster Squad<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re willing to accept a fair bit of cheese and spoofery here, then Gosling\u2019s smart talkin\u2019 Sergeant might work for you. Gangster Squad is hella stylised, so don\u2019t go into this one expecting a whole load of realism. This is also the weakest Ryan Gosling-Emma Stone relationship film for me here, because the ham just gets too, well…hammy. Plus the characterisation ain\u2019t great. Not one of Gosling\u2019s finest, despite the rizz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 18 Crazy, Stupid Love<\/p>\n\n\n\n Definitely a stronger Gosling-Stone joint right here. You\u2019ve got the Dirty Dancing<\/em> scene, and you\u2019ve got some pretty decent comedy commitment from Gosling. At the end of the day though, this is a rom-com, and that genre just really ain\u2019t my thing. Even if there is plenty of rizz on display, that just ain\u2019t enough to get past my rom-com aversion. Sorry dude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 17 The Place Beyond the Pines<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gosling certainly makes an impact here with that opening scene, and he\u2019s really getting into his \u2018emoting without saying shit\u2019 persona here, which is great to see. And it\u2019s the first time he\u2019s goes for that audacious blonde look (nope, Barbie<\/em> wasn\u2019t the first time). He\u2019s got a few other great moments too, but he just doesn\u2019t get the chance to show his full potential here. Why? Because he\u2019s only in about a third of the film. Why, you ask? Well…reasons. It\u2019s worth seeing Pines<\/em> just to appreciate the fact that it\u2019s the reason why Gosling and Eva Mendes got together. And that\u2019s a great thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 16 The Notebook<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the one that got Gosling fully into the heartthrob sphere, and, again, while I\u2019m not a huge fan of films that rely heavily on romance, I can appreciate the service that Gosling brought to the film industry with this flick. Probably not one I\u2019ll be rewatching too soon, but hey, it was a pivotal role in Gosling\u2019s career. That\u2019s important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 15 The Grey Man<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was pretty disappointed to see Gosling follow up his genius silent hero era with this film. Heck, that first scene? Where he\u2019s spitting out MULTIPLE SENTENCES? Bleugh. Get back to that laconicism, bro. But nah, it ain\u2019t terrible, but it ain\u2019t great either. The Russo Brothers should probably stick to the MCU universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 14 The Fall Guy<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gosling\u2019s most recent effort is pretty fun, it\u2019s just not the silent, brooding Gosling, which is where he\u2019s at his best. His comedy chops are still strong though, and he\u2019s got some nice chemistry going with Emily Blunt. The plot isn\u2019t anything to write home about, but that\u2019s not really the point. If you like fun action films, you\u2019ll probably enjoy it. If you\u2019re a fan of more gloomy, taciturn films, like good ol\u2019 me, then you won\u2019t enjoy it quite as much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 13 Blue Valentine<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, here we are. Here\u2019s some brooding Gosling. Is the film depressing? Yes. Is it also a decent watch? Yes. If you go into it expecting a nice wholesome valentines movie with your partner, then…you won\u2019t get it. The whole plot is essentially about the breakdown of a relationship (no, that\u2019s not a spoiler, the same way me saying Marriage Story<\/em> has that basic plot isn\u2019t a spoiler either). It\u2019s one for the feels. The depressing feels, admittedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 12 La La Land<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah yes, the big one. The one that didn\u2019t bag the Best Picture award. Ultimately, Moonlight<\/em> was the more deserving candidate, but heck, it\u2019s still fun to hear Gosling\u2019s vocal cords. Admittedly, we heard a bit of them in Blue Valentine<\/em>, here, they\u2019re out in full force. Definitely Gosling and Stone\u2019s finest collab, and it was nice that they didn\u2019t go for the straightforward happy ending. Good fun, and a nice little love letter to Hollywood. Not Damien Chazelle\u2019s finest work, however. Oh no, you\u2019ll find that lad down way lower at number 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 11 The Ides of March<\/p>\n\n\n\n A bit of an underrated one. One of Gosling\u2019s more talkative roles, but he puts in a strong performance, rightfully earning a bit of Golden Globe attention as junior campaign manager Stephen Meyers. He also does a decent job in holding his own against big players like George Clooney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Good stuff, Gosling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10 Lars and the Real Girl<\/p>\n\n\n\n The premise of a man having a relationship with a sex doll may be rather odd, but roll with it. Gosling manages to make the whole thing work with his \u2018chunky Gosling\u2019 charisma. And no, that\u2019s not a fat suit. That\u2019s Gosling. He\u2019d put on all that extra pudge for the role of Jack Salmon in Peter Jackman\u2019s The Lovely Bones<\/em>. Lots and lots of H\u00e4agen Dazs ice cream, apparently (a technique that Austin Butler took inspiration from for his role in Elvis<\/em>). There hadn\u2019t been any agreement about this Method acting decision with Jackman himself, however, who got so mad that he fired Gosling\u2019s ass and replaced him with Mark Whalberg. No worries though, because Gosling channelled all that \u2018chunky Gosling\u2019 energy into this surprisingly poignant performance as the eponymous loner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9 The Believer<\/p>\n\n\n\n The one that earned Gosling wide critical acclaim and got his name some serious attention. Playing Jewish Neo Nazi Daniel Blaint, Gosling expresses himself with both heavy dialogue and pained body language, proving to be a serious force to be reckoned with in the cinematic arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8 The Big Short<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, Christian Bale gets most of the attention here as the central actor, but Gosling still gets in a great performance as the sardonic and frequently fourth wall breaking Jared Vennett. Bolstered by Adam McKay and Charles Randolph\u2019s genius screenplay, Gosling makes a big impression with a relatively background role. I\u2019m not sure if the pitch-black hairstyle really works, but that\u2019s a separate issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7 Only God Forgives<\/p>\n\n\n\n This got plenty of hate upon release. I\u2019m not going to argue against that hate, in the sense that Only God Forgives<\/em> is a very marmite film. You\u2019re probably either going to really hate it or really like it. While I sometimes ask myself if I really like it, I\u2019ve come to the conclusion that to do, based on the fact that I talked about it a decent bit in my book. You could certainly make the argument that Nicolas Winding Refn gets a bit indulgence with his love of violence and esoteric plots, but it worked for me. It won\u2019t work for most, but that\u2019s cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6 Half Nelson<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gosling\u2019s in prime indie mode here as druggie middle school teacher Dan Dunne. He was very much deserving of his Oscar nomination here, not leaning into cheesy stereotypes and creating character with minimal body language. The writing\u2019s great, as is the supporting cast, and it has some nice ambiguities too. The fact that Half Nelson<\/em> never leads into any schmaltzy moral messages is definitely a thumbs up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5 Barbie<\/p>\n\n\n\n SUBLIME. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4 The Nice Guys<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gosling in peak comedy mode, and I won\u2019t hear otherwise. I\u2019ve seen a few other reviewers comparing his acting style here to that of the legendary \u2018stone face\u2019, Buster Keaton, which is probably why I like it so much. Gosling is also a genius paring with Russel Crowe, with comic talent only heightened by Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi\u2019s genius screenplay. Gosling generates plenty of physical comedy, though, and it\u2019s also rare joy to have The Nice Guys<\/em> as a stand alone project rather than pushing a sequel. Hopefully it doesn\u2019t get one, because it\u2019s a polished little gem all on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3 First Man<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, you think this is a movie about the Apollo 11 mission, do you? A film that\u2019s filled with plenty of action and explanatory dialogue, hm? WELL IT\u2019S NOT. IT\u2019S A HEARTFELT EXPLORATION OF GRIEF AND LOSS WITH MINIMAL DIALOGUE AND MANY POWERFUL EXPRESSIVE GESTURES. Well, the moon landing\u2019s there, but it\u2019s just a backdrop for a wider story about Armstrong\u2019s unspoken grief for the loss of his young daughter Karen due to a brain tumour. But yeah, if you\u2019re hoping for a load of action, you ain\u2019t getting\u2019 it. Soulful, heartfelt, magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Drive <\/p>\n\n\n\n Literally me. But yeah, this film rocks. It kicks ass. Words don\u2019t do justice to how outstanding this joint is. The editing, the lighting, the acting. Everything. Every shot is imbued with meaning. And sure, I\u2019ve gone back and watched it to an autistic degree. It\u2019s the kind of film that invites that kind of obsessive watching. Have I got a replica of the jacket, you ask? Maybe. Maybe I do. I\u2019ve written about the film countless times, I\u2019ve read the book (too much dialogue, imo), and, uh…yeah. It\u2019s just…awesomeness. Ryan Gosling is Driver, and Driver is Ryan Gosling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Blade Runner 2049<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, Ryan Gosling is K, and K is Ryan Gosling. C\u2019mon now, you knew this film would be in the top position. Similar to Drive<\/em>, every shot is a piece of art. I can\u2019t believe my dumbass self went into the preview screening thinking this was going to be a failure. Heck, it\u2019s a masterpiece. And yes, it crashed at the box office just like the original. That don\u2019t mean jack. It\u2019s an engrossing tapestry of visual mastery. That orange? No one\u2019s recreated that orange. Denis Villeneuve makes that a whole new colour in itself. And yep, Gosling is at his acting peak here. You don\u2019t need any heavy monologuing or insane cuts. All you need is Gosling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n You’ll be surprised to learn that I’ve written other RG pieces over the years (some are below). Also, I’ve written a book where RG films feature a decent bit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n