Free Fire: One Big Scene
Take an eclectic bunch of relatively big names, give them a 70’s makeover, then put them in a warehouse full of prop guns and debris. The resulting cacophony might just look something like Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire (2016).
The action comedy starts with a quick setup: in late 70’s Boston, IRA members Frank (Michael Smiley) and Chris (Cillian Murphy) are making a firearms purchase facilitated by their American associate Justine (Brie Larson). They are led into a warehouse by another American intermediary, Ord (Armie Hammer), where they meet with arms dealers Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and Martin (Babou Ceesay). The deal moves forward uneasily until complications arise between the two sides’ henchmen, putting tensions past the boiling point and erupting into a violent mess.
For a film that takes place entirely in one setting, the pace is surprisingly steady. The action is intentionally clumsy, bullets flying and rarely landing. When hits do land, they are almost always nonlethal, crippling limbs and bloodying suit jackets. Wheatley and co-writer Amy Jump juxtapose over-the-top levels of gunfire with realistic accuracy to make an amusing bloodbath where, within the first fifteen minutes, everyone is shuffling along the ground cursing and taking potshots when they can.
The drawback to this particular style is that any semblance of plot development is shallow at best, and nearly as clumsy as the gunfight itself. There are threads of conspiracy and betrayal like you might find in any crime film that takes after Ritchie, Scorsese, or Tarantino, but this film lacks the intricacy found in any such classics. The plot is certainly not the reason to watch; the action is the focus, combined with the star-studded cast.
The trouble with an ensemble of great performers is that they need writing that takes full advantage of their talents. Despite some great performances, what dialogue does exist is all aggressive and confrontational, which makes many interactions feel like big names trying to out-act one another.
On a positive note, highlight performances come from Armie Hammer and Sharlto Copley. Hammer is a perfect fit for the professional businessman/criminal Ord who tries to keep a level head as everything collapses around him. Copley has found his niche as a comic relief gunslinger, playing up the dimwitted egotist Vernon. The interaction between the two is hysterical; Vernon plays the line between trying to impress Ord and barking orders at him, while Ord babysits Vernon, offering dismissive placations while trying to focus on keeping them both alive.
Another standout performance comes from up-and-comer Jack Reynor as henchman Harry, one of the instigators of the entire catastrophe. Reynor plays his role with a nice range, going from enraged to facetious smoothly and believably. This is certainly one performer to watch in coming years.
Free Fire is not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination. The action is well paced, but the plot is at a virtual standstill. What the film has to offer is an amusing, action-packed mess of bullets and 70’s style that may just be worth its 90 minute runtime, especially to anyone in the mood for a “Guy Ritchie Lite” experience.
"Free Fire" is available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Blu-Ray/DVD and a number of other services.
"Free Fire" is available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Blu-Ray/DVD and a number of other services.
6/10
