Heart of Stone (2023)

Heart of Stone is a fantasy spy thriller for Netflix starring Gal Gadot.

Directed by Tom Harper who isn't really known in the States. He was nominated for a BAFTA and there isn't much wrong with the direction as much of the flaws of the film lie with the acting and writing. I was excited to see Greg Rucka was on the writer's table as he wrote The Old Guard which makes me think he wrote the action scenes which were okay if not worse. The progressive writing probably comes from Allison Schroeder which only hindered the movie. I know she's a capable writer as she wrote Hidden Figures. It feels like they're trying to make Salt or Atomic Blonde but with Gal Gadot as the lead and make it more modern and for a female audience. Action films typically have a male audience and so perhaps that was why it felt off.

Gal Gadot does not sell the idea that she's just a tech girl who's into chess. She also just walks through all the lines and doesn't emote much throughout the movie. She still has that look she can give like she knows exactly what you're thinking and it's not her worst performance with what she was given. I doubt she gave notes to Harper but if she did, Harper ignored her.

Jamie Dorman played the punching bag, metaphorically, in the film. He was my least favorite part of the film. His whole character was poorly written and his performance was eye-rolling. You might remember him from the Fifty Shades franchise. His acting hasn't gotten any better, if anything because of the writing I would say I'd rather watch Fifty Shades of Grey.

The film was a chore to finish. I couldn't wait for it to be over. This film will be forgotten by most. It's still better than some this year though because of Harper and Gadot. Result: D+

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