Starring Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Jack Reynor, Babou Ceesay, Enzo Cilenti, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley and Noah Taylor. Written by Amy Jump and Ben Wheatley. Directed by Ben Wheatley. Running time 90 minutes. Budget $10 million. Certificate 15.
A group of IRA men, lead by Cillian Murphy's Chris meet up with a shady South African gun runner, Sharlto Copley in a disused warehouse for a gun deal organised by Brie Larson's Justine and Armie Hammer's Ord. But the deal goes south after an unrelated altercation and then mayhem ensues and the bullets start flying in all directions. Allegiances are made, crosses are doubled and everyone takes a bullet or two. Or three, if not more.
This is a very black, very funny, very chaotic movie directed with real aplomb by Ben Wheatley who keeps showing movie, after movie that he has a genuine and distinct voice. Set in the 1970s, gives this a movie a glorious soundtrack and some nice plot points, like a distant ringing telephone to the outside world. The characters are all very distinct and each brings something different to the proceedings.
However, this isn't perfect, the main failing being that once a human being gets shot they tend to lie down, meaning that for most of its running time, the talented cast are crawling around on their bellies or lying down and the continuous gun battle can get a little confusing, plus there's a distinct lack of bloody flying around. But these are minor quibbles. Cos the humour is gloriously black and the cast is excellent. The film is filled with an almost endless supply of quotable lines including my favourite line of the whole film, and one I wish I'd written, "As a child he was mistakenly diagnosed as a child genius."
A funny, violent romp. 8/10
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