Review of Seven Psychopaths (2012) by Nesbitt10 — 20 Jan 2013

McDonagh's latest film, "Seven Psychopaths," looks to be another over those satirical and incredibly violent action movies on the surface, but underneath it all is a surprisingly moving story about friendship. Some will say that using violence to tell a story like this is utterly hypocritical, but they are clearly not aware of McDonagh's plays, and they probably haven't even seen his previous movie, "In Bruges." All those works do have a high level of blood and violence in them, but they are not simply designed to shock people. McDonagh instead uses those elements to get at a deeper truth about life and the people closest to us, and this is not always apparent to those who view his work from a distance.

An alcoholic writer with limited imagination, Marty (Colin Farrell) spends more time slumming with hyper pal Billy (Sam Rockwell) than he does tending to his own professional woes. Stuck trying to pen a screenplay called "Seven Psychopaths", Marty finds himself caught up in Billy's mess, when the latter and his associate Hans (Christopher Walken) are fingered for kidnapping the dog of ruthless mobster Charlie (Woody Harrelson). Forced to flee with the pooch in tow, Marty finds a surprising amount of inspiration in being hunted, especially given that his company, Hans and Billy, may themselves also be psychopaths. The entire film is centered around the kidnapping of Bonny, a shih-tzu belonging to chief mobster Charlie (Woody Harrelson), and here's where all hell breaks loose. The violent nature of Charlie, usually involving shooting anyone he encounters without remorse trails the trio of Marty, Billy and Hans, inflicting collateral damage as he gets closer to retrieving his dog. The conversations between characters are in rapid fire, containing a wealth of information, anecdotes, and heavy on black comedy.

The cast is rich in recognizable names, and that transfers smoothly into the quality of acting. This time Colin Farrell is the straight man for McDonagh (he was the opposite in "In Bruges") and it's just the performance the Irishman needed to deliver after the summer's lethargic "Total Recall" rehash. Rockwell and Walken are of tremendous value as the canine thieves, Walken bringing his turn down to a Zen whisper, while Rockwell is entertaining as hyperactively playful, despite his murderous tendencies lying just below the surface. Where " Seven Psychopaths" begins to unravel and lose it's way is in the third act. For the first two acts, the film is wild, exhilarating and just plain fun. The last act slows down and the tone of the film is thrown off entirely, and rather suddenly, the film ventures out of dark comedy and into the realm of something else entirely. Sure, some of the dry wit still remains - but that is about it. It irrevocably changes the film, and ultimately turns what could have been a great film into "provides some laughs and worth checking out". Shortly after the film begins and Farrell begins working on the screenplay, and it becomes very clear that almost every line will refer to a later theme or event. It is ingenious at first, much like most satires are. But its amusement wears thin about halfway into the film, and by the third act my intrest and attention diminishes as it stumbles into a finale that feels unsatisfying. Great cast, worth checking out and entertaining enough if one can stomach the relentless carnage.