Judging exclusively from simply seeing or hearing the title, one would think that “Seven Psychopaths” would exhibit nothing but thrills and chills. However, the movie packs more laughs in it than any other movie this year while still capturing a few thrills along the way.
The viewer only has to sit through the first five minutes to recognize that quirkiness is sure to follow in a way that would make even Quentin Tarantino jealous.
The story follows Marty Faranan (Colin Farrell), an underachieving screenwriter occupied with writing his screenplay “Seven Psychopaths.” Marty’s friends, Billy Bickle (Sam Rockwell) and Hans Kieslowski (Christopher Walken) are in a slightly more dangerous line of work. They steal dogs and receive handsome rewards when returning them to their respective owners.
They eventually run into trouble as they steal a Shih Tzu belonging to a deranged gangster, Charlie Costello (Woody Harrelson), who is determined to get his dog back by any means necessary. As Charlie attempts to hunt down the thieves, Marty’s crew is caught in a cat-and-mouse game trying to avoid the gang. Throughout the story, Billy and Hans try help Marty enhance his screenplay, often leading to imaginative and quirky suggestions by the two.
Marty’s screenplay is almost like a small microcosm of what’s happening in the actual movie, with the movie’s main characters each being labeled as a particular “psychopath.”
It’s a little bit unclear as to why they don’t return the Shih Tzu to eliminate the risk of getting killed, but it just points to the whole silliness factor that this movie exhibits. After all, they are “psychopaths,” so it’s probably not vital for the filmmakers to address that issue. The random eccentricity is what clearly sets it apart from other heist movies.
Speaking of screenplay, this movie features a great one. If you enjoy lightning-speed dialogue, then you’re going to love this movie. Director Martin McDonagh’s fast up-tempo script flawlessly harmonizes with his witty and quirky characters. When they always find themselves in precarious situations, they always deliver with comedic relief. And that’s what so special about this film. It has a script that can take itself seriously at times, but also possesses the ability to provide a multitude of laughs through its smart script.
McDonagh could not have picked a more perfect cast to work well with his script either. Rockwell, Farrell and Walken probably exhibit the best onstage chemistry out of any movie you’ll see this year. McDonagh couldn’t find a more perfect core.
Black comedies such as “Seven Psychopaths” are certainly hard to pull off. Not everybody has the delirious, yet inventive mind of a Tarantino, but McDonagh has managed to create possibly one of the best comedies of the year.
