This fall, audiences have experienced movies that will have a passionate following among some. These movies have references which might dominate pop culture and movie midnights audiences for quite sometime. Both the violent and super cool “Looper” and the amusingly catty “Pitch Perfect” immediately come to mind, however, on October 12th the Academy Award winning filmmaker Mart McDonagh (“In Bruges,” the short “Six Shooter”), returns to the big screen for his latest dark comedy “Seven Psychopaths” and most expect a fan following for this one too. There’s a possibility that this new fill will even be the one that out lasts the previously mentioned films released weeks prior.
Synopsis courtesy of CBS Films: Have you ever looked around and thought you were surrounded by a bunch of psychopaths? Well, writer Marty Faranan (COLIN FARRELL) has just realized that in his case, it’s literally true. Already past deadline on his latest screenplay and way past the end of his girlfriend Kaya’s (ABBIE CORNISH) patience, Marty’s personal and professional lives are constantly disrupted by his best friend Billy (SAM ROCKWELL). But Billy’s well-intentioned attempts to help his friend soon spiral into a whirlwind of crime and crazy when Billy and his partner Hans (CHRISTOPHER WALKEN) find that their dognapping business has led them to inadvertently take a dog they should never have kidnapped…a shih tzu (BONNY the shih tzu) belonging to Charlie Costello (WOODY HARRELSON), a Los Angeles gangster with a devotion to his dog that borders on obsession. Vowing to kill whoever took his dog, Costello sets off to find those who stole Bonny…and suddenly Billy, Marty and Hans find themselves in a whole lot of shih tzu
Producer Graham Broadbent (In Bruges, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) was a fan the moment he read the screenplay admiring the tonal shifts in Martin’s writing.
“It was a great read, a wonderful piece of writing – original and extraordinary. It had a rich mix of humor, humanity and danger. Martin makes the reader walk a tightrope. I think that’s the smart element in this script – it constantly subverts where you think it’s going to go. Martin will play a different card just when you think you know where it’s going.” said Broadbent.
An interconnected film like “Seven Psychopaths” balances both grim and lighthearted moments even during some identical scenes. Whats the most amusing was how each scene and moment builds on one another taking the viewer on a mostly macabre, sometimes slapstick journey. And this complex construction of the plot and how it all comes together seemed like a cinematic miracle.
“Seven Psychopaths was like a puzzle, like a gigantic cinematic jigsaw. I don’t think I could ever have done this film without having done Bruges first,” said director Martin McDonagh.
Though a movie like “Seven Psychopaths” wasn’t meant for “everyone”, the right audience will find it, enjoy it, and then talk about it. This was outrageous and hilarious with numerous surprises through out the entire running time. The dark comedy was a rare breed in today’s Hollywood; an original movie with dark comical setups. This went beyond the “Get Shorty” terroritory of the behind the scenes mob mentality of making a movie. At times, these ‘Psychopaths’ genuinely shock the audience. Also, I think Mr. McDonagh’s film will be one of those quotable cult classic. This will age well among a segment of the cinephile population from sarcastic hipsters to jaded yuppies to some older mainstream audiences who can stomach the violence.
Finally, let me be one of the first to mention the Oscars with this movie. Though many Oscar pundits haven’t included it on their lists, I think award consideration should be mentioned for the Best Original Screenplay category. Considering the directors previous two movies were nominated, this is a likely possibility. ‘Psychopaths’ is a witty screenplay with snappy dialogue. After all, the plot centers around writing a screenplay for a movie. The Oscar voters love to reward well written movies…especially ones about making movies! CBS Films has improved the quality of their films during the short history. This isn’t even comparable to “Extraordinary Measures.” A movie I think ‘Seven Psychopaths’ shouldn’t be overlooked by Oscar pundits, but seriously considered by all the Gurus of Gold. Don’t be too shocked if it does well through out award season.
*Quotes taken from the Press Notes Courtesy of CBS Films.
