Jason Statham is a Bad Man, construction foreman, retired British Royal Marine Levon Cade in Writer and Director David Ayer’s A Working Man. Cade promised to find Jenny, played by Arianna Rivas, to her parents Joe and Carla Garcia, played by Michael Pena and Noemi Gonzalas. He also works for the family. The Russian Mafia kidnapped 19-year-old Jenny for human sex trafficking. Cade quietly told Joe, “You’re my family… I’m gonna bring her home.” Cade is a man of his word. He’s samurai. He leverages all his powers to find her. When unleashed, Cade is the virtual killing machine.
Cade strapped Russian Mafia kingpin Wols Kolisnyk, played with venomous zeal by Jason Flemyng, to a chair teetered on his swimming pool ledge, only supported by a rope. He struck Wols across the face twice. Cade said, “That’s for slapping your wife.”
Defiantly, Wols yelled, “Fuck you!” Then Cade cut the rope. He doesn’t play. That’s the ‘Duh’ signature narrative of David Ayers and Sylvester Stallone’s screenplay based on Chuck Dixon’s book Levon’s Trade. Stallone also wrote the screenplay for Statham in Homefront.
A bunch of Russian Mafia soldiers and Biker gangsters think they’re all Badasses, albeit some are. They still think they can kill Cade even after he maimed and dispatched their own, like nothing. In Ayer and Stallone’s narrative, Cade is going to kill them, but none of them get it. What about: He’s going to kill you, don’t they understand? Just asking.
Jason Statham is his restrained quiet best as Cade. Sure, he does formulae in A Working Man and does it in lean style. I’m a big fan. I believe Jason Statham is the best martial artist in action movies, today. He’s a Bad Man.
In the best fight scene, Cade meets Biker Gang Leader Dutch, played with commanding force by Chidi Ajufo, about his meth business to obtain information on Jenny’s location. Dutch surrounds Cade with 6 of his crew, all bigger and stronger than him. Or so they think. Cade smiles, “All right. Let’s play.”
Aesthetic and efficient Jason Statham executes his kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Aikido expertise. In the classic Aikido technique, Cade breaks the wrists of the biker thug with kotegaeshi (wristlock). Then he snaps his elbows with jujinage and throws him with koshinage (hip throw). Cade really doesn’t play. Still, the bad guys don’t get it.
David Ayer and Sylvester Stallone invent surprising poignancy in Cade’s narrative. As A Working Man opens, Cade wakes up in his rented truck at the construction site. He lives out of his truck. He’s the homeless decorated war hero. His young daughter Merry, played by smart innocent Isla Gie, lives with her rich Grandfather, after her Mother’s death. The Grandfather blamed Cade for his daughter’s death. However, she died from suicide when Cade was deployed on mission.
While eating lunch together Merry said, “I’m mad at Mom for leaving us.” Jason’s Cade teared up and said, “Me too.” That touching eloquence in A Working Man is Cade’s unconditional love for his daughter. He entrusted Merry’s safety with his Royal Marines friend, blind expert archer Gunny, played with laid back gravitas by David Harbour, so that Cade can rescue Jenny. Jenny was his surrogate daughter, too. Cade gave Merry his Royal Marines patch and said, “I’m coming back for this.” It was always about his love for Jenny, his love for Merry. They were under his watch. He protected them.
Cade captured Wols’s coke-head younger brother Dimi, played with opaque anger by Maximilian Osinski, who knows Jenny’s whereabouts. He shot Dimi in the hand. Stupidly, Dimi called Jenny a “whore”. Cade smashes his face with a straight right. Foolishly, Dimi demanded Cade tell him why he wants Jenny. Cade asked, “Did you ever have a daughter?” Dimi answered, “No!” Wrong answer for Cade.
A Working Man is not the cinematic masterpiece. It’s the great action movie with authentic heart. In A Working Man, a lot of wannabe Badasses talk a lot of smack. The real Badass, Jason Statham’s Cade, speaks quietly and throws a bigger punch. He don’t play. This real Badass loves his daughter and protects her with his life. Jason Statham is that real Badass with the big heart in A Working Man. That makes it all worth it.
