Review of Free Fire (2017) by Chris O — 20 Jul 2018

A raw, comedic, shootout.

Everyone's got a gun, and absolutely no one is in control. Set in a colorful yet gritty 1970s Boston, Free Fire opens with Justine (Oscar (R) winner Brie Larson), a mysterious American businesswoman, and her wise-cracking associate Ord (Armie Hammer) arranging a black-market weapons deal in a deserted warehouse between IRA arms buyer Chris (Cillian Murphy) and shifty South African gun runner Vernon (Sharlto Copley). What starts as a polite if uneasy exchange soon goes south when tensions escalate and shots are fired, quickly leading to a full-on Battle Royale where it's every man (and woman) for themselves.

So coming into this film, I didn't really know what to expect. I hadn't remembered any of the trailers and since this film had been out for a bit, word had died down. I knew what it was generally about, and I was curious to see how they could pull it off. What I got actually surprised me a bit and even though there wasn't a ton of memorably stuff here, it was still decently entertaining.

One thing I really enjoyed was the entire action scene (which is basically the whole film). It felt raw and real and it never felt overblown. The minute things start happening, things are just pretty quiet. Gunshots echo through the air amongst witty chatter, and it makes for this jarring, if not overdrawn, gun battle. It's raw and I enjoyed that part, so it makes it stand out from other films in that sense.

In terms of acting, everyone here did a solid job. I think this film had some A-List actors but in the end, I don't think names really elevated this film. I think what elevated this film was how it was executed and how it was perceived. I mean, the film's not die-hard laughter but it's got some pretty comical stuff in it. It's an entertaining gun battle for sure.

I think one thing I realized is that there isn't a ton of depth to the film. Yes, we learn about these character personalities throughout the film but other than that, there's not a ton of thinking to do here. It's literally an hour and a half gun battle with a story centered inside it. Yes it's enjoyable, but forgettable too.

In the end, "Free Fire" was an entertaining film. It's certainly not one of A24's best, but it adds to their list of unique and interesting films that I've adored for so long.