One of the best experiences for me as a film lover is coming across a film I haven't seen before (or even more refreshing, a new release) that teaches me new lessons, hooks my attention and leaves me thinking about the experience for days. This feeling came to me in the form of Martin McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths. I sat down to watch a film I had seen advertised that looked pretty mediocre and was pleasantly surprised (bit of an understatement here, I was ecstatic) when I found myself engaged in a completely original, funny and diverse piece of cinema. I wasn't too intrigued by the marketing of this film, after watching the trailer in early 2012 I thought this looked like a quirky predictable crime infused comedy, and was a little confused as to what the plot had in store. But post viewing, I realized the story and style of this feature cannot be communicated through a two minute video as much of the plot unravels through various twists and turns and this is what gives Seven Psychopaths it's authenticity. So keeping the details minimal in the advertisement was rightful and basically unavoidable. The tale centers around aspiring writer and heavy drinker Marty (Colin Farrell) and his lovable friend Billy (Sam Rockwell) who earns his keep dog napping with partner Hans(Christopher Walken). Marty is struggling to write a screen play entitled The Seven Psychopaths and Billy tries to help him think of seven characters to take up the roles of each 'psychopath.' Some of the psychopaths are formed from Marty's imagination, for his movie. Where as others are taken from the film's universe, such as a masked vigilante seen early in the film who goes around killing hit men by the street name 'The Jack Of Diamonds' and a victim of Billy and Hans' dog napping business who turns out to be a crazy dog obsessed criminal (Woody Harrelson). This creates an interesting experience for the viewer as we have two dimensions in the story, we have the film we're watching that includes the tales of seven psychopaths, and we have the story Marty is writing that also includes seven psychopaths. Sounds confusing, right? Maybe in words, but this film is beautifully written and presented to us in a way that you will never see the next twist coming. It's fast paced, edgy and extremely unique. From the very first scene I was completely hooked and was continuously shocked at the various plot turns, it's anything but predictable. Another aspect of this film that provided thorough entertainment for me was it's philosophical points around ethics, religion and what it is to be human (albeit a psychopathic one). Many have commented on it's quirky-ness and style being influenced by Tarantino, which I can agree with and don't think is necessarily a negative thing. It certainly has similarities with the director's infamous tone, such as it's ability to infuse comedy with violence and drama into a certain state of neutral normality. I did not at anytime feel as if this was an attempt to copy Tarantino's work nor aspired to be compared to it (ironic right), the comments should merely be an observation rather than a criticism. All in all this is now a film I consider to be one of my favorites, I thoroughly enjoyed it and any film that can get my brain racing like this gains my approval. I was so excited for my other lovers of film to watch it so we could discuss, and even more eager to write a review on it. In my opinion this could be classed as a modern day classic, with brilliant actors (two of my favorites actually!) and an entertaining script, it just needs a little more recognition!
Rating: *****
Highlight: I can't reveal my true highlight without spoiling a crucial plot point.. So I'll just stick with saying the performance from Rockwell.
See if: you like any of the actor's previous work, it's not a disappointment from any of the main cast!
Don't see if: You're looking for some light viewing, this does require some concentration and some have said they felt the ending was slightly dragged out. Furthermore, this movie is to be interpreted, and leaves the viewer with topics to think over. So again, if you're feeling more of a light comedy, rom com or simple 'he's the baddie' slasher film. Seven Psychopaths may not be for you tonight.
