A Heist Film Built on Star Power
Red Notice was released on Netflix in 2021, and it was not just another action-comedy as it was the streaming giant’s most ambitious original project at the time. It starred Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot, and it featured globe-trotting adventures with sharp humor and thrilling heist action.
Among all characters, one character stood out the most: Nolan Booth, the wise cracking art thief who was played by Ryan Reynolds. Booth not only got the biggest laughs, but he also got the most screen time of all the characters. His counterbalance to the muscle and mystery of Johnson’s FBI profiler and Gadot’s enigmatic “Bishop” provided the humor, heart, and pulse that Booth’s character needed.
Nolan Booth: More Than Just the Comic Relief
At first glance, Nolan Booth is the archetypal Reynolds character, with sarcasm and ad-libs dominating every scene. Booth is not just a thief, but someone who is desperate to be recognized as the best at what he does, living in the shadow of the throne and rival.
There lies within him a delicate balance between ego and fragility. He wants to win, yet he seeks bonds as well. His rivalry-turned-bromance with Johnson’s character, John Hartley, is one of the film’s highlights, wherein they argue in a prison cell and cooperate in a sensational escape. Booth is the embodiment of the outlaw’s wolf persona, the outlaw who longs for connection.
That balance relegated him to more than a mere sidekick— he became the film’s emotional center.
The Research Behind Booth
The character of Nolan Booth is deeply rooted in cultural stereotypes. He is a Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief, Indiana Jones, and a Deadpool-style trickster rolled into one. Booth, however, is also linked to the real world: a gentleman-thief as he is inspired by the famous Arsène Lupin and notorious art world criminals.
Ryan Reynolds himself admits that Booth was partially inspired by his own insecurities. Reynolds, despite his status, often jokes about having a form of imposter syndrome and a constant hunger for acknowledgement. That impulse is what Booth’s character is: a thief of treasures who seeks recognition and perhaps love.
Ryan Reynolds’ Preparation: Living the Thief’s Life
Reynolds did not simply step into the role as himself. To prepare, he looked into the world of high-end art thievery, reading about these infamous heists and the manner in which thieves operated in society. Preparations of this magnitude, of course, require serious attention. However, in Reynolds’ case, he balanced out the gravity of the situation by being in tune with improvisation which often resulted in rewriting or creating lines on the screen to maintain spontaneity with Booth’s humor.
An anecdote told ‘behind the scene’ about the film was that the ‘trust fall’ joke which Booth tells to Hartley was not scripted. It was entirely Reynolds improvising during rehearsal and the director was so keen on it he left it in. Gal Gadot confessed that there were times she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as Reynolds did not follow the lines.
Audience Reactions: The Booth Effect
At the premiere of the movie Red Notice, critics were split on the film as a whole, but all agreed on one thing: the Booth character as played by Reynolds was the best part. Fans went wild on social media with quotes, gifs, and memes of the best one-liners and snappy comebacks. For most, Booth was seen as the most effortless portrayal taken on by Reynolds since Deadpool.
Much of the excitement was also driven by the chemistry and dynamic between Reynolds and Johnson. Their odd couple dynamic – one with sarcasm and the other with stoicism – became the driving force of the film. Some fans were so taken by Booth that they called for a spin off entirely based on his character.
Booth and Cultural Resonance
Booth’s comic genius reflected in the way he mirrored the audience of his time. In a world filled with the need for approval (likes, followers, recognition), people Booth’s joke ‘the world’s greatest art thief’ reflected absurd and laughable aspirations on Desperate Artistic. The inability to laugh at one’s self also stems from severe self-confidence issues.
Antihero’s are a growing phenomenon. Booth was especially popular among people who followed the darker side of fiction. Like Walter White in Breaking Bad and Lupin in Netflix, people loved Booth for the flaws associated with his character. The trademark light-hearted Reynolds of today associates with Booth and vice versa.
Backstage Stories: Blunders, Banter and Bonding
The film Red Notice was just as energetic and vibrant as the people in it. Dwayne Johnson loved to poke fun at Reynolds for his improv, claiming more than half the funding for the film was spent on the moments when the cameras were meant to be still rolling, as he tried to come up with new lines. In one story, Reynolds pokes a joke at Johnson’s body and the entire crew started laughing so hard the shot had to be reset.
While Gal Gadot showcased her finesse on screen, she also got involved with the ‘prank wars.’ In one of the interviews, Reynolds mentioned how Gadot once replaced one of his prop drinks with a real one laced with chilli while he was performing a scene, which he did not expect. That energy – fun, disorderly, and cooperative – was palpable on the screen.
The Endgame: Booth’s Legacy in the Context of Red Notice
By the end of the film, Booth is not merely there for comic relief – he is the one who connects the enemies and redefines the relationships. His last shift of joining Hartley and the Bishop for a new heist with them cemented his position as a comic and a collaborator.
Personally, I would argue Booth primary drew peoples attention with his witty comments. In his macroscopic assessment I would argue he did encapsulate a bit of humanity as well. Booth is loved because he represented a value all of us share, the value of not being invisible and a legacy.
Why Nolan Booth Remains Iconic
Nolan Booth’s character stood out from the rest of the film, which was filled with megastars, because he was a lot more relatable. Unlike Johnson’s larger than life hero or Gadot’s untouchable mastermind, Booth was unfiltered, vulnerable, and absolutely hilarious in a painful way.
The character Booth is presented to us as an embodiment of the different elements of self-doubt, charm, and self deprecating humor which were equally brought forward by Reynolds in the form of Booth and hence the character resonated over and beyond the cinematic boundaries. Booth in as much as did not possess the most bulging muscles or the most dastardly plots, he had one thing which is the most invaluable asset in the eyes of the spectators, which is humor, all in all, the character did possess a form of essence.
This is the primary reason as to why in the context of Red Notice, Nolan Booth is not a mere art thief, rather he is the central cinematic masterpiece of the movie.
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