PLOT: The true story of stunt driver Ken Carter (Jay Baruchel), aka “The Mad Canadian,” and his years-long attempt to jump a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental across the mile-wide expanse of the St. Lawrence River.
REVIEW: One has to hand it to Jay Baruchel. One of the annoying things about Canadian films (spoken as a Canadian myself) is how they often try to cover up their homegrown roots. This is the third Jay Baruchel vehicle that is proudly Canadian, following his Goon films and BlackBerry (which helped launch Matt Johnson). The Stunt Driver reunites him with his Goon director Michael Dowse for this affectionate look at the career of Canadian legend Ken Carter, who was basically our Evel Knievel (although he bristled at such comparisons).
Carter is largely known here because he was profiled in a famous National Film Board of Canada documentary, The Devil at Your Heels. The Stunt Driver weaves in the making of that film, with the movie snapping back and forth between grainy 1.33:1, 16mm-style recreations of that movie’s footage and razor-sharp 2.35:1. It’s a great part for Baruchel, following his nuanced turn in BlackBerry. While Carter is kind of a lovable goof, he’s never a joke, as he really did risk his life in a series of gonzo stunts, and the film treats him with respect. Baruchel vanishes into the part, but he’s well supported by a strong cast. They include Laurence Leboeuf, who our readers probably know best for her role as Apple in the cult hit Turbo Kid. She’s terrific as Carter’s loving wife, Gloria, who supports his schemes, even if she knows they may well get him killed.
Ed Helms also has an atypically serious role as Dick Keller, the inventor of the rocket car Carter wants to jump. Not the fantasist Carter is, he wants him to at least try to be somewhat safe, putting him at odds with the money behind the jump, with it clear the people financing the stunt don’t care if he lives or dies—either way, it’s a great story for them. What makes it work so well is the affection between the two, with Helms quickly warming to the likable Carter, and, as with Gloria, the warmth of their relationship with Carter keeps the film grounded. Ben Foster also shows up for an extended cameo as Evel Knievel, who becomes an early sponsor and—like the others—comes to grudgingly respect Carter.
The film also contains some spectacular footage of Carter’s various jumps, many of which went horribly awry, with daredevils such as him a rare breed. Yet the film respects his dedication to pushing the boundaries of what’s even possible, and the film seems to be a labor of love for both Baruchel and Dowse, with the latter returning to Canadian film after making a series of American films like Stuber, Coffee & Kareem and the underrated Trap House.
The Stunt Driver is set for a wide theatrical release in Canada on September 25th, and IFC will be putting it out stateside on the same date. Hopefully, it becomes a sleeper, as it’s a cool movie to watch theatrically, and it’s well-crafted. It’s a lot more gonzo than your typical biopic, but considering the subject, that’s pretty fitting.
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