Feature: Jason Statham, Working Class (Action) Hero

IFC - 26th Nov 2008

1 votes
Jason Statham: By R. Emmet Sweeney Jason Statham is a worker. He's released three films in 2008 alone ("Transporter 3" hits theaters today), and his characters are defined by labor, whether he's playing a driver, a thief or an assassin. They have names evocative of union workers and hockey players: Frank Martin, Terry Leather, Chev Chelios. These are single-minded anti-heroes out to complete a mission. Nothing concerns them but the job, whether it's a "Bank Job," an "Italian Job" or a "Transporter" gig. The thrills in a successful Statham film come from this focus -- the hurtling narratives rarely pause for backstory, concerned only with bridging the gap between a plan and its execution. Statham's route to tough Guy stardom was circuitous. For a decade, he toured the world as a member of Britain's national diving squad, finishing 12th on the platform at the '92 World Championships, but amateur sports weren't paying... Read full story at IFC

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