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F. Gary Gray is a Actor, Director and Producer American born on 17 july 1969 at New York City (USA)

F. Gary Gray

F. Gary Gray
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Birth name Felix Gary Gray
Nationality USA
Birth 17 july 1969 (55 years) at New York City (USA)

Felix Gary Gray (born July 17, 1969) is an American music video and film director. Gray directed Friday, Set It Off and The Negotiator as well as the remake of The Italian Job.

Biography

Débuts de réalisateur et arrivée au cinéma (années 1990)
F. Gary Gray a grandi à Compton, dans une banlieue californienne.

Il commence sa carrière en tant que figurant en 1989 dans Les Indians. En 1993, il dirige son premier clip avec "It Was a Good Day" pour le rappeur Ice Cube. Rapidement, il travaille pour de nombreux artistes comme Cypress Hill, Outkast, Dr. Dre et Queen Latifah.

En 1995, âgé seulement de 24 ans, il réalise son premier film : Friday, coécrit par Ice Cube. Après la comédie, il s'essaye au thriller l'année suivante avec Le Prix à payer, dans lequel 4 amies, interprétées par Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox et Kimberly Elise, vivant à Los Angeles, et décidant de commettre un braquage de banque.

En 1998, il met en scène sa première grosse production : Négociateur, thriller policier sur fond de prise d'otages, avec Samuel L. Jackson et Kevin Spacey. L'année d'après, il produit et réalise l'épisode pilote d'une série policière, Ryan Caulfield : Year One, mais la série est un flop et disparait de l'antenne après un seul épisode diffusé en octobre 1999 sur la chaîne FOX.


Progression en demi-teinte (années 2000)
Il tourne successivement deux longs-métrages, tous deux sortis en 2003 : d'abord un drame, particulièrement violent, Un homme à part, avec Vin Diesel dans le rôle-titre, qui est éreinté par la critique, et échoue commercialement. Puis un film de casse, beaucoup plus commercial et grand public : Braquage à l'italienne, remake de L'or se barre sorti en 1969. On y retrouve un casting trois étoiles : Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Jason Statham et Edward Norton. Le film est un succès commercial, et reçoit une presse positive.

Après ce remake, il passe à une suite en 2005 avec Be Cool. John Travolta y reprend le rôle de Chili Palmer, qu'il avait tenu dans Get Shorty. Malgré un box office décevant le film arrive tout de même à satisfaire la critique.

Il attendra 4 ans avant de revenir à la réalisation avec un drame judiciaire, Que justice soit faite, qui lui permet de renouer avec un univers de polar, noir et violent. Malgré le tandem Jamie Foxx / Gerard Butler, les critiques sont majoritairement négatives, et le réalisateur s'éloigne de nouveau des plateaux.


Retour au premier plan (années 2010)
Cette fois, il faut attendre six ans pour le voir revenir au cinéma : NWA: Straight Outta Compton, qui revient sur la création et la carrière du groupe de rap N.W.A, produit par deux anciens membres, Ice Cube et Dr. Dre, et Universal. Le film est acclamé par la critique et constitue un large succès surprise de la fin de l'été 2015 : il cumule plus de 200 millions de dollars de recettes dans le monde, pour un budget inférieur à 30 millions.

Dans la foulée de ce succès, il est choisi par Universal pour mettre en boîte The Fate of the Furious, le 8e volet de la saga mondialement connue Fast and Furious. Le film sort pour l'été 2017, et permet au réalisateur de retrouver Vin Diesel et les courses de voitures. Le film dépasse le milliard de dollars de recettes mondiales.

En 2019, Gray est crédité comme réalisateur de Men in Black International, 4e film de la saga Men in Black, avec Chris Hemsworth et Tessa Thompson. Mal reçu par la critique et le public, il est révélé peu après la sortie que Gray a failli quitter son poste de réalisateur suite à des problèmes de production et de réécriture, et que la réalisation de certaines scènes ainsi que le montage sont de Walter F. Parkes, producteur de la saga.

Depuis plusieurs années, il est attaché à l'adaptation cinématographique du jeu vidéo Kane and Lynch: Dead Men.

Best films

The Fate of the Furious (2017)
(Director)
Men in Black: International (2019)
(Director)
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
(Director)
The Italian Job (2003)
(Director)

Usually with

Ice Cube
Ice Cube
(3 films)
Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
(3 films)
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
(3 films)
DJ Pooh
DJ Pooh
(1 films)
J.J. Perry
J.J. Perry
(3 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of F. Gary Gray (14 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

Straight Outta Compton, 2h27
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Historical, Musical
Themes Dance films, Medical-themed films, Films about music and musicians, Films about drugs, Films about racism, Hip hop films, Musical films, Gangster films, HIV/AIDS in film
Actors Aldis Hodge, Paul Giamatti, Neil Brown, Jr., O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell
Roles Greg Mack
Rating77% 3.899823.899823.899823.899823.89982
In 1986, Eric "Eazy-E" Wright enters a crack-house to sell drugs, but, it is soon raided by the police, who gain entry into the house via a battering ram. Eazy escapes through the house's rear window. Later, Eazy goes to a club with Lorenzo "MC Ren" Patterson to see friends Andre "Dr. Dre" Young, O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson and Antoine "DJ Yella" Carraby, who perform the song "Gangsta Gangsta", while Eazy and Ren stand in the audience. After Dre leaves the club, he is arrested after breaking up a fight involving his brother, Tyree. Eazy bails him out the next day. The next morning, Dre talks to Eazy about investing money into a start-up record label, in order to record a track that Cube has written. Cube and Dre want rappers H.B.O.(Homeboys Only) to record the track. Eazy agrees to fund the project. After a conflict arises during the recording session, H.B.O. leaves and Dre convinces Eazy to perform the track. They record and release "Boyz-n-the-Hood". Jerry Heller approaches Eazy and asks if he can be their manager. The group accepts Heller's offer. While performing "Dopeman", they garner the attention of Bryan Turner, a producer at Priority Records, with which they sign. Afterwards, N.W.A commences recording their debut album, "Straight Outta Compton", with Heller. During one of the sessions, they are harassed by some police officers. Frustrated by the situation, Cube writes "Fuck tha Police".
Law Abiding Citizen, 1h44
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Crime
Themes Prison films, Films about sexuality, Rape in fiction, Rape and revenge films, Films about capital punishment
Actors Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Bruce McGill, Colm Meaney, Leslie Bibb, Michael Irby
Roles un inspecteur de police
Rating73% 3.699963.699963.699963.699963.69996
Philadelphia, 1999. In a violent home invasion, engineer Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is forced to witness the rape and murder of his wife and young daughter by Clarence James Darby (Christian Stolte) and his accomplice Rupert Ames (Josh Stewart). Prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is unable to use DNA evidence to securely convict both accused. Unwilling to take a chance on lowering his high and yet unbeaten 96% conviction rate, he chooses to make a deal with Darby (the actual murderer), letting him plead guilty to a lesser charge, in return for testifying against Ames. Ames is falsely found guilty of masterminding the break-in and both murders and is sentenced to death. Shelton feels betrayed by Rice's actions, as he had pleaded with him not to make the deal and to at least try convict both of them, and because he chose to release the actual killer. Darby serves his shortened sentence and is released just a few years later.
Set It Off
Set It Off (1996)
, 2h3
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Crime
Themes Feminist films, Films about music and musicians, Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, Hip hop films, Political films, Buddy films, Heist films, Gangster films, Escroquerie, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film, Lesbian-related films
Actors Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise, Blair Underwood, Dr. Dre
Roles Guy Driving Low Rider (uncredited)
Rating69% 3.452133.452133.452133.452133.45213
Francesca "Frankie" Sutton is a Los Angeles bank teller who witnesses a robbery. Shortly after the incident, the bank fires Frankie after the police uncover a connection between her and Darnell, one of the three robbers; despite the fact that Frankie knew nothing of the robbery Darnell had planned. Later, Frankie reunites with her three best friends, Lida "Stoney" Newsome, Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims, and Tisean "T.T." Williams in the projects and is furious because she was fired. Cleo states they should rob a bank themselves to collect all of the money and get out of the projects while being able to have what they want. Frankie agrees, while the other two friends aren't following along with what they are saying. Eventually, Frankie decides to work at a janitorial company with her friends even though they are treated with no respect from their boss, Luther, and receive little pay.
Friday
Friday (1995)
, 1h31
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama
Themes Medical-themed films, Films about music and musicians, Films about drugs, Hip hop films, Buddy films, Gangster films
Actors Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Ice Cube, Tom Lister, Jr., John Witherspoon, Anna Maria Horsford
Roles Black Man at Store
Rating71% 3.599623.599623.599623.599623.59962
Craig Jones (Ice Cube), a twenty two year old man living in South Central Los Angeles, California, has just lost his job, after being framed for stealing. Not having any plans, he hangs out on his front porch with his delinquent best friend, Smokey (Chris Tucker), a pothead who sells marijuana for Big Worm (Faizon Love), the psychopathic neighborhood supplier.
Major League, 1h47
Directed by David S. Ward
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Themes Sports films, Baseball films
Actors Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Rene Russo, Margaret Whitton, James Gammon
Rating71% 3.5984253.5984253.5984253.5984253.598425
Former Las Vegas showgirl Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitton) has inherited the Cleveland Indians baseball team from her deceased husband. Phelps has received a lucrative deal to move the team to Miami, and she aims to trigger the escape clause in the team's contract with Cleveland if season attendance falls below minimum levels. To do this, she fires most of the existing players and has her new General Manager Charlie Donovan bring in new ones from a list of aging veterans and inexperienced rookies, hoping to make the worst team ever that would certainly cause attendance to decline. Donovan hires Lou Brown, a former coach from the Toledo Mud Hens to lead the team.

Director

Men in Black: International, 1h55
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Comedy, Action
Themes Comedy science fiction films, Buddy films, Films about extraterrestrial life
Actors Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall
Rating56% 2.8047252.8047252.8047252.8047252.804725
En 1996, à Brooklyn. Une fillette prénommée Molly rencontre un jeune extra-terrestre dans sa chambre et voit ses parents se faire « neurolyser » par des Men In Black devant sa maison. 20 ans plus tard, à Paris, les agents H et Grand T, des MIB de Londres, contrent l'attaque d'une race extra-terrestre nommée « La Ruche », au sommet de la Tour Eiffel. En 2019, après des années de recherche et de surveillance, Molly finit par localiser le quartier général des MIB. Repérée dès son entrée, elle se retrouve en isolement. Alors qu'on s'apprête à lui effacer la mémoire, elle réussit à convaincre l'agent O de lui donner sa chance. En tant que l'agent stagiaire M, Molly est envoyée dans l'agence londonienne où elle doit collaborer avec l'agent H.
The Fate of the Furious, 2h16
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Thriller, Action, Adventure, Crime
Themes Transport films, Films about automobiles
Actors Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodríguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris
Rating66% 3.305193.305193.305193.305193.30519
Dom et Letty sont maintenant en lune de miel à Cuba, Brian et Mia se sont rangés et ont accueilli une petite fille, et le reste de l'équipe est disculpé. Cependant, une nouvelle menace pèse à présent sur le groupe : une femme, une mystérieuse et redoutable cyberterroriste, force Dom à la rejoindre sur le chemin de la criminalité. Pour mettre fin aux agissements de Cipher et de Dom, l'équipe est obligée de collaborer avec un ancien ennemi qu'ils ne voulaient plus croiser : Deckard Shaw.
Straight Outta Compton, 2h27
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Historical, Musical
Themes Dance films, Medical-themed films, Films about music and musicians, Films about drugs, Films about racism, Hip hop films, Musical films, Gangster films, HIV/AIDS in film
Actors Aldis Hodge, Paul Giamatti, Neil Brown, Jr., O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell
Rating77% 3.899823.899823.899823.899823.89982
In 1986, Eric "Eazy-E" Wright enters a crack-house to sell drugs, but, it is soon raided by the police, who gain entry into the house via a battering ram. Eazy escapes through the house's rear window. Later, Eazy goes to a club with Lorenzo "MC Ren" Patterson to see friends Andre "Dr. Dre" Young, O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson and Antoine "DJ Yella" Carraby, who perform the song "Gangsta Gangsta", while Eazy and Ren stand in the audience. After Dre leaves the club, he is arrested after breaking up a fight involving his brother, Tyree. Eazy bails him out the next day. The next morning, Dre talks to Eazy about investing money into a start-up record label, in order to record a track that Cube has written. Cube and Dre want rappers H.B.O.(Homeboys Only) to record the track. Eazy agrees to fund the project. After a conflict arises during the recording session, H.B.O. leaves and Dre convinces Eazy to perform the track. They record and release "Boyz-n-the-Hood". Jerry Heller approaches Eazy and asks if he can be their manager. The group accepts Heller's offer. While performing "Dopeman", they garner the attention of Bryan Turner, a producer at Priority Records, with which they sign. Afterwards, N.W.A commences recording their debut album, "Straight Outta Compton", with Heller. During one of the sessions, they are harassed by some police officers. Frustrated by the situation, Cube writes "Fuck tha Police".
Law Abiding Citizen, 1h44
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Crime
Themes Prison films, Films about sexuality, Rape in fiction, Rape and revenge films, Films about capital punishment
Actors Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Bruce McGill, Colm Meaney, Leslie Bibb, Michael Irby
Rating73% 3.699963.699963.699963.699963.69996
Philadelphia, 1999. In a violent home invasion, engineer Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is forced to witness the rape and murder of his wife and young daughter by Clarence James Darby (Christian Stolte) and his accomplice Rupert Ames (Josh Stewart). Prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is unable to use DNA evidence to securely convict both accused. Unwilling to take a chance on lowering his high and yet unbeaten 96% conviction rate, he chooses to make a deal with Darby (the actual murderer), letting him plead guilty to a lesser charge, in return for testifying against Ames. Ames is falsely found guilty of masterminding the break-in and both murders and is sentenced to death. Shelton feels betrayed by Rice's actions, as he had pleaded with him not to make the deal and to at least try convict both of them, and because he chose to release the actual killer. Darby serves his shortened sentence and is released just a few years later.
Be Cool
Be Cool (2005)
, 1h58
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Mob film, Crime
Themes Films about music and musicians, Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, Musical films, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film
Actors John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, Kenan Thompson, Harvey Keitel, Cedric the Entertainer
Rating55% 2.7992152.7992152.7992152.7992152.799215
Chili Palmer (John Travolta) helps Edie Athens (Uma Thurman), the widow of an executed friend, Tommy Athens (James Woods), to resurrect a record company using the talents of young and talented female vocalist and songwriter, Linda Moon (Christina Milian). The plot is complicated by several facts:
The Italian Job, 2h
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Thriller, Action, Adventure, Crime
Themes Transport films, Films about automobiles, Road movies, Heist films, Gangster films, Escroquerie
Actors Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham
Rating69% 3.4984253.4984253.4984253.4984253.498425
John Bridger, a professional safecracker, has assembled a team to steal 35 million dollars worth of gold bullion from a safe held by Italian gangsters in Venice that had stolen it weeks earlier. The team includes Charlie Croker, a thief and John's protege, Napster, a computer expert, Rob, their wheelman, Steve, their inside man, and Left Ear, their explosives expert. They successfully complete the theft by stealing the actual safe and stealing the gold from it while the gangsters are occupied with a decoy. After leaving the city, the team agrees to split up the gold and part ways once they return to the United States. However, Steve turns on them: in the Alps near Austria, he and his own men intercept their van and take the gold, shoots and kills John, while the rest of the team falls into the river trying to escape.
A Man Apart, 1h49
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Crime
Actors Vin Diesel, Larenz Tate, Geno Silva, Timothy Olyphant, Jacqueline Obradors, Ken Davitian
Rating60% 3.0006553.0006553.0006553.0006553.000655
Sean Vetter (Vin Diesel) and Demetrius Hicks (Larenz Tate), who are former criminals, are members of the U.S. DEA working on the California/Mexico border. After arresting a drug baron named Memo Lucero (Geno Silva), the mysterious "Diablo" steps in and organizes the assassination of Vetter, but his wife, Stacy (Jacqueline Obradors), is the one who is killed instead.
The Negotiator, 2h19
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin German
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Crime
Actors Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse, Paul Guilfoyle, John Spencer, J. T. Walsh
Rating72% 3.64853.64853.64853.64853.6485
Lieutenant Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson), a top Chicago Police Department hostage negotiator, is approached by colleague Nate Roenick (Paul Guilfoyle) who warns him that large sums of money are being embezzled from the department's disability fund, for which Danny is a board member, and members of their own unit are involved. Nate claims to have an informant whom he refuses to name. When Danny goes to meet with him again he finds Nate murdered seconds before other police arrive, pinning him as the prime suspect.
Set It Off
Set It Off (1996)
, 2h3
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Crime
Themes Feminist films, Films about music and musicians, Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, Hip hop films, Political films, Buddy films, Heist films, Gangster films, Escroquerie, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film, Lesbian-related films
Actors Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise, Blair Underwood, Dr. Dre
Rating69% 3.452133.452133.452133.452133.45213
Francesca "Frankie" Sutton is a Los Angeles bank teller who witnesses a robbery. Shortly after the incident, the bank fires Frankie after the police uncover a connection between her and Darnell, one of the three robbers; despite the fact that Frankie knew nothing of the robbery Darnell had planned. Later, Frankie reunites with her three best friends, Lida "Stoney" Newsome, Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims, and Tisean "T.T." Williams in the projects and is furious because she was fired. Cleo states they should rob a bank themselves to collect all of the money and get out of the projects while being able to have what they want. Frankie agrees, while the other two friends aren't following along with what they are saying. Eventually, Frankie decides to work at a janitorial company with her friends even though they are treated with no respect from their boss, Luther, and receive little pay.