In Bruges filmmaker Martin McDonagh has once again teamed up with Colin Farrell to make a movie that has to be seen to be believed. Farrell plays a struggling Irish screenwriter named Marty who is trying to come up with ideas for his latest venture Seven Psychopaths. His best friend, Billy (Sam Rockwell) puts an ad in the local paper ‘calling all psychopaths’ to contact Marty with their stories for a chance to be featured in his film.
While at a party with his girlfriend, the stereotypical drunken Irish lout announces that his missus is a bitch and ends up sleeping on Billy’s couch as result. Billy is an unemployed actor who kidnaps dogs with his accomplice Hans (Christopher Walken) only to return them later for a cash reward. However, one day the pair unknowingly kidnap gangster Charlie’s (Woody Harrelson) Shih Tzu and the fun begins as innocent Marty is caught up in the proceedings. Ruthless Charlie is extremely upset and angered by the kidnapping and is willing to kill in order to get his darling Shih Tzu back. Marty soon realises that the psychopaths he was looking for had been right under his nose all along.
If you seek a movie full of rainbows and butterflies you should probably shy away from this one. As the title suggests, it is about psychopaths, so there is no shortage of violence and gore. No more than five minutes into the movie, we are introduced to the violence as two men who are plotting to kill a woman are shot dead in broad daylight. On the other hand, it has its fair share of comedy helping to give the movie a boost at just the right times. Sam Rockwell wins the award for funniest actor and will have you laughing throughout.
With his Fatboy Slim dancing days behind him, Christopher Walken is in his prime with a role that shows off his emotional side. While in some movies it is easy to predict what is going to happen next, in this one it’s impossible, due to its roundabout-like plot. At one stage, Tom Waits, who is better known for his music career, makes a cameo appearance in the movie.
However, like any movie that has good actors and a mad plot it has been hyped up to the nines and may not live up to your expectations, as some of the good bits are shown in the adverts. If you can get over the stereotyping of the Irish with references to alcohol, leprechauns and one or two dodgy attempts of our wee accent it’s a movie to be enjoyed.
Rating: 3.5/5
Lauren Kelly
Leave a Reply