Seven Psychopaths – Film Review
Director: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Abbie Cornish, Woody Harrelson, Olga Kurylenko, and Tom Waits.
Distributor: Momentum Pictures
“Do I look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just…do things.”
If the Joker from The Dark Knight taught us anything, it’s that audiences absolutely love a psychopath. They upset the natural order, which makes them fascinating. They do things that many of us yearn to do, allowing us to live out our secret fantasies on-screen. And despite their actions, they always have their own twisted sense of logic. So, how do we cash-in on this potential fad? Throw a whole bunch of them together, and let the sparks fly!
Seven Psychopaths stars Colin Farrell as Marty, an alcoholic screenwriter who is struggling to put together what he thinks will be a successful film… called ‘Seven Psychopaths’. With the help of his sexually and socially awkward friend Billy (Rockwell), he attempts to establish his 7 main characters by looking for real-life lunatics. Meanwhile, Billy’s partner in crime, Hans (Walken) finds himself marked for kidnapping the beloved Shih Tzu from merciless mob boss, Charlie (Harrelson).
Seven Psychopaths could very easily have been a hugely entertaining film. Instead, it is a hugely entertaining film that makes some profound observations about modern society, post modernity and even the film industry itself. The fact that getting the movie we are watching written is the central hook for the film plays all sorts of games with audience perception. We see alternative endings play out in the heads of the characters, potential sub plots and changes to setting and character, simply because they ‘work’ or look better. One absolutely spell-binding scene sees one of the psychopaths describing his ideal ending to the film. This ridiculous sequence features a storm of bullets, extremely busty females, ridiculous slow motion and extravagant death sequences. The fact that this is pitched by a psycho, and also that it is exactly the sort of film that sells, really makes the audience question: who is it that’s really crazy?
A great deal of other questions are raised by other characters in the film, most notably by Walken’s character, Hans. He makes us consider how we define a psychopath, are the actions of a psychopath ever justified and how crazy is the supposedly ‘sane’ average man? These questions are raised by most of the psychos, but it is most poignant in Walken’s case. He almost plays the role of the thoughtful narrator of the film, despite the fact that he features heavily within the central plot.He makes his case that he is simply an individual, walken’ down his own path.
The performances of the film are largely spectacular. Farrell is Farrell, but he is likable throughout. Harrelson arrives into the film with an absolute bang, and possesses that ability to make audiences squirm with delight whenever he is onscreen. This is exemplified beautifully in his one emotional scene, which is only seconds long, yet perfectly timed. It is little nuances like this that it apparent how carefully constructed his character is. The cast is pretty broad, and, to their credit, they all perform admirably in the limited screen-time they are given. If there is any quibble to be had, it is that Tom Waits and his fluffy rabbit don’t feature nearly enough (although watch out for a sly nod and wink from them after the credits, the director clearly anticipating audience discontent at his absence).
Overall however, it is Sam Rockwell that deserves the highest praise for his exceptional portrayal of the very memorable Billy. He lays the foundations for his character, who initially seems to only play a minor role, and then continues to build upon him continually throughout the entire feature. If Harrelson can make the audience squirm, Rockwell will make them cheer. Very little of what he does makes sense, and he has plenty of little quirks that invite interrogation, but don’t demand it. He walks down a tightrope, skilfully balancing subtly and extravagance. Like most complete nutcases in film, he is the embodiment of pure fascination.
There is a stamp of Tarrantino here, made readily apparent by the bizarre events that unfold and the punchy dialogue that makes every second of the film so engaging. It can be argued that it gets a little bit messy in the final act, but this is a means to an end which will become apparent when (when, not if) you see the movie. It is an unusual film, and not just in the ‘usual’ sense of unusual. The film itself makes a point about ‘conventional’ film psychopaths, and the characters in the film land both close and miles away from this mark.
It is wonderfully strange, shockingly intelligent and it all hinges on a Shih Tzu named Bobby. Seven Psychopaths will make you laugh, cheer and think, even after the credits have rolled. Exceptional film-making, you’d be crazy not to see it.
Score: 5/5
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