'Seven Psychopaths' - Brilliantly funny!
With an all star cast and one of the most original scripts since 'Pulp Fiction'. 'Seven Psychopaths' proves to be a wonderful mix of Hollywood commentary, human commentary and just plain gleeful violence.
Writer/Director Martin McDonagh skillfully weaves narratives and genres in this story within a story, within another story of three friends and their search for focus and inspiration. Everytime that you think McDonagh has written himself into a corner, he deftly bobs and weaves into a unique and fresh idea. And while the ending is a bit on the nose, you almost can forgive that and even assume it was McDonaghs intention as a wink and a nod to the standard Hollywood exploitation film.
Marty (Colin Farrell) is a struggling Hollywood writer faced with a deadline to finish his script 'The Seven Psychopths'; perpetually soaked in booze, Marty appears to be at a crossroad with his career and relationship. His best friend, Billy (the brilliant Sam Rockwell) is an unemployed actor making ends meet as a dognapper; he is determined to provide Marty inspiration by any means necessary. Billy's partner in crime is Hans (Christopher Walken in a scene stealing and career role), a religious man with a very violent past. And Charlie (Woody Harrelson) is the psychopathic gangster whose dog Biily and Hans have just stolen. Needless to say, Charlie will do anything to retrieve his beloved pooch!
McDonagh's rapid fire dialogue is a treat for the senses, especially delivered with unhinged glee by the likes of Rockwell and Walken. The cast is picture perfect and I dare say in any other hands, this film may have been less than. The film itself moves along speedily and it may be a bit hard to keep track, but McDonagh keeps us so interested that we hardly notice some of the minor - 'wait, what just happened?' moments. One such moment occurs when Charlie questions his dog sitter after the dog goes missing; it was a scene that somehow just didn't fit into the flow of the movie. But that aside, every scene works well and every tale within a tale connects to move the story along to its inevitable conclusion.
'Seven Psychopaths' is a gleeful, violent romp delievered near perfectly by an excellent cast with outstanding writing and direction. This is a 7 star movie that you would be crazy to miss!