Seven Psychopaths (2012)
Directed by Martin McDonagh
7/10 R
“Seven Psychopaths” has a classic case of cinematic identity confusion. It takes you on the scenic route through God-knows-where. You don’t always know where it’s going, but you know when it gets there. And you’ll be glad you climbed aboard.
Colin Farrell plays Marty, a screenwriter struggling to write the story for his newest movie, “Seven Psychopaths.” He recruits his friends Billy and Hans (Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken) to help him out, but when Billy steals the priceless pet dog of a well-known gangster (Woody Harrelson) ready to blast their heads off, all that other stuff has to be put on hold. Now the three budding writers need to script their way out of a plot they would have never been able to imagine.
“Seven Psychopaths” is so much the stuff of guilty pleasures. Much like “Stand Up Guys” (another 2012 release for Walken) became an instant favorite of mine for its hilarious use of three old Oscar winners to deliver raunchy, unexpected jokes, “Seven Psychopaths” takes three Hollywood poster boys and puts them in a silly crime-comedy for the ages. I think Tarantino would be proud of the dark humor, excess of blood, and misguided story trajectory.
Sam Rockwell deserved a f*cking Oscar for providing nearly two hours of sheer entertainment. He epitomizes psychopath in a character that we should have hated with a burning passion but somehow fell in love with. He’s laugh-out-loud hysterical. Christopher Walken is in classic form, saying a bunch of lines that just sound hilarious when said in Christopher Walken’s voice. I feel like that may have even been the point, but I’m not complaining.
“Seven Psychopaths” is just good fun. Bloody, hilarious, action-packed good fun.
Cinema or Cine-meh 