Seven Psychophaths

Movie Name: Seven Psychopaths
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Martin McDonagh

Stars: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Tom Waits, Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurylenko, Harry Dean Stanton, Kevin Corrigan, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Pitt, Michael Stuhlbarg, Zeljko Ivanek

Genre: Comedy, Crime

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis:

Playwright and director Martin McDonagh followed his well received debut feature "In Bruges" with "Seven Psychopaths", another intelligently written and well acted film, featuring his usual accomplice, actor Colin Farrell. The film focuses on Martin, a struggling screenwriter in LA, who is experiencing problems in writing his next project. His best friend Billy, tangles him up in a scheme he has around town, one that involves stealing dogs and holding them for ransom. Unfortunately their latest victim, turns out to be the dog of a crime lord, something that sets in motion a series of unexpected events.
"Seven Psychopaths" manages to be simultaneously a dark comedy, but also a big wink to filmmaking and the art of writing. The film has nods to the styling of independent films from the 90s, with the quick witted dialogue, but also with the sudden outbursts of brutal violence. It's a film that is very intelligent, and very self aware, but one that doesn't make these characters more than just archetypes, something that it plays off appropriately. It has a great cast, with Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken making the biggest impressions, but most of the supporting cast has nothing much to do. It's still an entertaining film well worth watching.