Review of Seven Psychopaths (2012) by Python2000 — 01 Jan 2014

From the same director as the cult black comedy In Bruges, a masterclass in comedy film making, comes this complex dark thriller Seven Psychopaths.

Colin Farrell is playing himself an alcoholic and slightly paranoid Irishman, the only difference between Marty and Ray from In Bruges is that he doesn't say a lot. An ensemble cast including Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and Olga Kurylenko joins him and in in short hilarity ensues. From the reason they are hunting each other down to minor details like when a gun won't fire, everything is some kind of joke even if some attempts at humor are a bit hit and miss. Unlike the vastly superior In Bruges this appeals to a wide audience because of how slick and cool the backstories behind each psychopath are, specifically The Quaker who is one of the coolest movie characters ever. However just because most of the characters are killers does not mean you feel nothing for them, sure it's not like In Bruges where you are almost in tears for a child murdering hit man, but you definitely care for them which is not an easy thing to do. Some people have claimed that it mistakes violence for humor and isn't witty at all, but I argue that that never stopped Oscar winners like Tarantino and Scorsese.

A hugely enjoyable bleak (not black) comedy full of laughs, shootouts and strangely likable characters. It's not even in the same league as In Bruges but I loved it.