Review of Free Fire (2017) by Roman A — 20 Apr 2017

Considering director Ben Wheatley's last two feature films have been ambitious cerebral pieces, "Free Fire" is a stripped bare action flick with a simple setup and payoff. While keeping the 70's period design and ditching the deeper subtexts of "High-Rise", the film continues Wheatley's penchant for destroying his set as the story progresses.

In a weapons deal gone awry, a memorable cast shoot at each other for the majority of the film. There are quips, cliché dialogue, bits of gore, and an overwhelming sense of nihilism. It is no surprise that Martin Scorsese was an executive producer on this, and Wheatley has stated his love for "Taxi Driver" among others in the icon's filmography.

However, the film is so steeped in its influences that it borders on parody at times. What outweighs the dearth of innovation is the keen sense of spatial relation in the production design, sound, and editing.

Technically speaking, for a chaotic shootout in a messy warehouse there is little confusion about where you are, who is shooting, and why. People get maimed; guns get reloaded. The first act firmly sets up the characters without over expositing, and the rest of the film rewards the viewer for their attentiveness.

My biggest surprise was that there wasn't much food for thought. One could make the case that in a desperate society with a well-armed populace, taking a bullet is inevitable - I doubt that was the impetus for making though.

It's hardly a timeless film, but as a solid action flick in wide release "Free Fire" will hopefully garner enough returns for Wheatley to proliferate his higher minded pursuits in the future.