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During the 1990s, Quentin Tarantino’s rise in popularity led to a surge in crime thriller movies. Some were well-received, such as “Natural Born Killers,” while others were not as successful, like “The Boondock Saints.” This new film, based on the novel “Gun Monkeys” and starring Pierce Brosnan, harkens back to that era in many ways – both positive and negative.
The story begins with a scene that shows a glimpse into the future, where hitman Charlie Swift, also known as Brosnan, is in a car graveyard in Florida looking suspicious. A mysterious person instructs him to raise his hands and remove his shirt, which he does. Brosnan then speaks in a voiceover that follows the style of the record scratch meme, saying “Yep, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation…”. The rest of the movie will reveal the answer in the next 90 minutes, and for the most part, it is a smooth and effortless journey. The movie moves along happily, fueled by common cliches and memories of better films, in a way that is more positively familiar than tiresome.
One thing that may seem unfamiliar is Charlie Swift’s manner of speaking. Is he a experienced criminal from the sunny state of America? Or is he a charming 70-year-old Irish actor, maturing like a fine wine, who can’t help but speak with a distinct accent? Interestingly, he is both, depending on the situation. He is also determined to woo Morena Baccarin’s character, a streetwise taxidermist who is considerably younger than him. One can’t help but think that Brosnan’s character was originally written as a more typical 50-year-old gangster type, but when Brosnan was available, they decided to go with him because, well, why wouldn’t you?
James Caan’s performance in Fast Charlie was minimal, as he only had limited time to work with the Godfather star. However, his brief appearance added a certain charm and energy to the film, which was overall enjoyable and not overly long. Plus, who doesn’t love a scene with a man being decapitated by an exploding doughnut?
Source: theguardian.com
