Review of Seven Psychopaths (2012) by Robyn N — 01 Dec 2013

While his first film, "In Bruges" (2008) was black, fresh, and funny-Martin McDonagh's follow up comedy crime caper is a bit of a misfire. With the spellbinding title of "Seven Psychopaths", it feels as though it is trying a little too hard. Notwithstanding, there are some good things about the film; it is a brainteaser that is ultra dark humor, with a very impressive cast, and a schlock of set ups that work to varying degrees. "Seven Psychopaths", a self-reflexive black comedy where the main punch line is that its script is being written before our very eyes.

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 on 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 the black comedy. McDonagh has a mastery of dialogue, a streak of outrageousness and the power to surprise, and these attributes buoy the first part of the film. 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" disaster. 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 its way is in the third act. For the first two acts, the film is wild, exhilarating, and just plain fun. The promising beginning and set-up give way to a meandering film that takes a long time to go nowhere. The space between laughs becomes greater, and twists and turns become increasingly puzzling and extraneous. The filmmaker's ambition gets the better of him, as the number of subplots begins to rival the body count. Despite promising more than it can deliver, "Seven Psychopaths" still boasts a handful of funny, finely-staged sequences that attest to McDonagh's talent and vision.