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Although the trailers tried to portray 2012's Seven Psychopaths as an oddball mainstream comedy with an all-star cast, the actual movie is a violent, uniquely peculiar black comedy that joyfully rejects mainstream sensibilities. Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's second feature film after his 2008 masterpiece, In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths is more in the vein of a Coen Brothers flick, with razor-sharp, witty dialogue and vicious violence buttressing a story about criminals and killers in a hectic world. With most major studio releases now being remakes, sequels, prequels or adaptations of pre-existing source material, it is refreshing to witness something like Seven Psychopaths, an audaciously original motion picture that plays with genre conventions and tells a creative, multilayered narrative. It's not quite as good as In Bruges, but it's a remarkable sophomore effort for McDonagh.
An alcoholic screenwriter, Marty (Colin Farrell) is suffering from writer's block. He has the title for his latest script - "Seven Psychopaths" - but cannot crack the idea or conceive of the seven titular crazy characters. Enter Marty's eccentric pal Billy (Sam Rockwell), who works alongside Hans (Christopher Walken) in a small-time con game. Billy and Hans maintain a scheme by stealing dogs and returning them to their owners for the reward money. But the pair find themselves in over their heads when they kidnap a prized Shih Tzu owned by a ruthless mobster, Charlie (Woody Harrelson). Determined to retrieve his beloved dog, Charlie begins a killing spree as he works to find the culprits. Marty finds himself inadvertently involved in the ensuing clusterfuck, all the while gleaning ideas for his screenplay.
Seven Psychopaths is so deliriously entertaining due to how unexpectedly meta it is. The characters regularly reference conventions of typical action films before we see them live through such clichés. For example, in the third act, Billy talks about his desire for Marty's latest screenplay to be violent and full of shootouts, but Marty pitches the idea of a second half in which the characters drive into the desert and simply talk. During this conversation, the characters are driving into the desert and they end up talking for ages. Billy refuses to believe that a gun battle will not take place between himself and Charlie, to the extent that he forces a shootout. Furthermore, as if McDonagh was aware of his film's own shortcomings and was keen to beat his critics to the punch, Hans, at one stage, points out that the female characters in Marty's script either have nothing to say or get shot after five minutes. And remember, this is a motion picture called Seven Psychopaths, written by an Irish screenwriter named Martin, and it is about an Irish screenwriter named Martin writing a script entitled "Seven Psychopaths." Astonishingly, the self-referential material never comes off as pretentious or too self-knowing. Instead, it all sounds organic, as McDonagh doesn't overdo it and is a genuinely skilled writer.
As expected from McDonagh, the writer-director's dialogue is engaging and witty, and he has a perfect ear for dark humour. McDonagh fills Seven Psychopaths with hilarious non-sequiturs. One particularly bizarre interlude introduces Tom Waits as a bunny-carrying oddball eager to tell Marty about his life experiences. This leads to a wildly audacious and riotously funny montage that rewrites history by revealing the fates of several infamous murderers who were never caught, including the Zodiac killer. The story proper is also interrupted at various times for small vignettes spotlighting characters from Marty's budding script. It's brilliant stuff. McDonagh is a fantastic director, too, with a firm grasp on pacing and mise-en-scène, while Ben Davis's cinematography is equally agreeable. Seven Psychopaths was shot on 35mm film, giving the picture a gorgeous cinematic look that digital cameras cannot replicate. The film's momentum does wane at times, and a few tonal changes are a bit jarring, but for the most part, the picture is agreeable and entertaining. And be sure to stick around for the first segment of the credits that culminate with a hilarious additional scene.
Colin Farrell and Sam Rockwell are an inspired pair of protagonists, and they work wonderfully together. Farrell makes for a great panicked straight man, while Rockwell is at his most gleefully unhinged here. Rockwell is terrifically energetic, and his comic timing and delivery are spot-on - it's especially side-splitting to watch Rockwell describe his vision of the climactic shootout. As Hans, the always watchable Christopher Walken (with a cravat around his neck) looks to be having an absolute ball here, resulting in some of the movie's highlights. (When ordered to put his hands up by a gunman, Hans simply refuses, saying he doesn't want to.) Meanwhile, Woody Harrelson is an ideal Charlie - he's darkly funny, and he's sinister when he needs to be. There are also several terrific cameos, with appearances from Tom Waits, Harry Dean Stanton, Gabourey Sidibe and Zeljko Ivanek (you may not know his name, but you almost certainly know his face). The first scene also features Boardwalk Empire actors Michael Pitt and Michael Stuhlbarg, who set the tone by playing hitmen.
Like Cabin in the Woods, Martin McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths is a meta movie that is not overdone. It's clever without becoming too proud of itself, and it's ideal for intelligent, film-savvy audiences. Fiercely funny and beset with twists and scene-stealing performances (it cannot be overstated just how great Sam Rockwell is), Seven Psychopaths is a thoroughly entertaining non-PC romp that demands multiple viewings.
8.1/10
