The Bricklayer is a total dude bro flick about an ex-CIA agent who gets pulled in for one last job. I thought it was anti-CIA and anti-American, and the women’s parts were a throwback to the Neanderthals.
The Bricklayer is Steve Vail (Aaron Eckhart), and he’s really earning his living these days laying bricks. But his skills as a one man army have not diminished. CIA Director O’Malley (Tim Blake Nelson) sends him to Greece because the CIA is under threat. O’Malley sends Kate Bannon (Nina Dobrev) along with him. She’s a trained CIA agent, but her role in the film is that of damsel in distress. (Okay, so she redeems herself in the end).
In Greece, the pair are charged with finding Victor Radek (Clifton Collins Jr.). He was supposedly killed by Vail a couple of years ago, but some people just don’t stay dead like they are meant to. Now Radek is killing journalists and causing havoc. He’s mad at the CIA and he’s doing something about it.
Vail knows his way around. He used to be stationed in Greece himself. The current head of station, Tye Delson (Ilfenesh Hadera), was his former lover. He thinks he can get help from her and some of his former contacts.
There are many action fight scenes. Vail singlehandedly fights off hordes of armed men and repeatedly saves his partner Kate. There are car chases, bombs, and gun fights facing our hero but he can take it all in stride. He can even jump right out of bed after being shot and carry on fighting. What a man!
You might guess from my sarcastic tone that I don’t give this movie a high rating. It’s on Netflix if you want to watch it and compare your analysis with mine.