Free Fire
4 stars
Director: Ben Wheatley
Stars: Sharlto Copley, Brie Larson, Armie Hammer
Duration: 90 mins
Class: 15
KRS Releasing Ltd
Never has a movie been as aptly named as Free Fire, which, in a nutshell, is essentially 90 minutes of the members of the eclectic ensemble engaging in an epic shootout in an empty warehouse. And that is basically it. End of movie. End of review. Four Stars.
Hmmm. I imagine my editor needs this to be a little longer, so...
What makes Free Fire so eminently watchable is the way those 90 minutes unfold, from the opening scene where a Winnebago cruises along the streets late at night to its blood-bathed finale. Said Winnebago’s occupants Bernie (Enzo Cilenti) and Stevo (Sam Riley) are in a hurry; the latter’s battered appearance is clearly a sign he’s been in some altercation.
They arrive at their destination, an abandoned warehouse on the waterfront, where they hook up with Stevo’s Irish brother-in-law Frank (Michael Smiley); Chris (Cillian Murphy), a fellow Irishman and Frank’s business partner; and Justine (Brie Larson), an American woman acting as intermediary in the upcoming arms deal. They are joined by nattily dressed, smooth-talking Ord (Armie Hammer), and they enter the warehouse.
Inside are arms dealers Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and Martin (Babou Ceesay) and – after introductions are made, small talk is exchanged and a minor glitch ironed out – the deal is made. All is well in the (under)world. And yet, when Vernon’s factotums Gordon (Noah Taylor) and Harry (Jack Reynor) drive into the warehouse to deliver the consignment, something unforeseen happens. Very soon guns are drawn. One shot is fired. And all hell breaks loose.
Free Fire is unavoidably going to invite comparisons to Reservoir Dogs and, although director Ben Wheatley cites legendary director Sam Peckinpah and his films The Wild Bunch and Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid as some of his influences, it is impossible not to see shades of Tarantino’s oeuvre.
There is much authenticity in the portrayal of the various injuries each and every character sustains
But with its hyper-cool 1970s setting, Free Fire stands firmly on its own legs and is certainly as entertaining, not least for the simple yet effective narrative that unfolds, and the superb characters that emerge from the script Wheatley co-wrote with Amy Jump.
While it’s a tall order to expect the levels of energy and excitement to remain at fever pitch throughout, the few moments the pace flags never last long enough to spoil the fun, and there always seems to be something new added to the mix. This includes the moment, just when you think the bedlam can’t get any worse, two snipers hidden high up in the warehouse start shooting. Who they are and why they’re there only adds to the mystery.
The one-location setting - a semi-demolished warehouse full of piles of rubble, debris and broken old machinery and office furniture - provides the perfect location for the incessant gunplay. The characters run, crawl, and on occasion fly for cover under the volley of bullets that are as much a part of the soundtrack as the music of Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury. And there is much authenticity in the portrayal of the various injuries each and every character sustains throughout. There is little by way of miraculous recovery and much by way of pain and blood.
Despite forming a substantial ensemble, the characters are all richly-drawn - from Copley’s obnoxious, loud-mouthed Vernon, Hammer’s cool, calm and collected Ord, Larson’s Justine, bringing sense, sensibility and sharp-shooting skills to the mix, Murphy’s Charismatic Chris, Reynor’s aggressive Harry, and Ceesay’s diplomatic Martin, to the minor characters.
Everyone shares a penchant for trigger-happiness (and foul-mouthedness), while breathing the heavy air of distrust that permeates proceedings. And this only worsens as the connections between the characters come to the fore.
The humour is infectious, rearing its head time and time again above the mayhem, as Ord and Justine, ever the level-headed ones, try to understand what the hell went wrong, and act as peacekeepers. Vernon’s levels of sanity seem to be falling by the minute, and Chris tries to find a way out of an increasingly impossible situation.
Also showing
Fist Fight, Clas 14: When one school teacher unwittingly causes another teacher’s dismissal, he is challenged to an after-school fight.