Category Archives: Seven Psychopaths

Top 10: Movies of 2012

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10. 21 Jump Street


Whoever said comedies, remakes, or buddy cop movies couldn’t be top ten worthy clearly haven’t seen “21 Jump Street.” “21 Jump Street” won me over at the beginning when it mocked its own existence, and then it had me in a state of uncontrollable laughter by the time Channing Tatum was destroying a drum set. This was the funniest purely comedic film of the year, sharp in both wit and slapstick. “21 Jump Street” convinced me of both the power of Channing Tatum’s acting ability and how far one could possibly stretch jokes about drug trips. The answer is very far.

9. Sleepwalk with Me

Anyone already familiar with the standup, book, and This American Life episode of comedian Mike Birbiglia will not find much new in “Sleepwalk with Me.” Nonetheless, it is still a fantastic example of how one great story can be molded and reshaped to be told in a variety of ways. Birbiglia makes a fantastic transition into the roles of director, writer, and actor, one that positions him as a new Woody Allen in the making. “Sleepwalk with Me” is loosely based on the struggles and anxieties that Birbiglia faced in his early days as a comedian, where he was also dealing with a toxic relationship and a sleepwalking disorder. Here, Birbiglia still gets to display his lovably awkward persona. It feels like Birbiglia’s whole career has led to this film, and his one man shows were just a step away from this. “Sleepwalk with Me” will resonate both for anyone trying to become a comedian, or just for anyone with a mind addled by anxiety and over-thinking.


8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Based on a book I haven’t read but now feel the need to, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is far and away one of the best films about high school to come out in a long, long time. Written and directed by its author Stephen Chbosky, “Perks” vividly swirls with life and love in every single frame. Even though its about high school outcasts, it is a nostalgic look at the early 1990s. It has one of my favorite soundtracks in recent memory, one that includes a variety of songs by The Smiths that are played without irony. It has fantastic supporting performances from Emma Watson and Ezra Miller as the friends and mentors to the lost wallflower Charlie (Logan Lerman). “Perks” tackles all of its issues honestly and seriously, with first love being taken as seriously as chronic depression. It takes us to a dark place, and then uplifts us on a clear night in a pickup truck going through a tunnel.


7. Silver Linings Playbook

A second viewing greatly improved my opinion of this film. For a film about mental illness, “Silver Linings Playbook” will surprise you by being one of the year’s most uplifting film. It does so by being emotionally honest, and it never begs us to cry. I’d call it a comedy filled with tragic characters. Here, director David O. Russell brings the same amount of care and detail to middle class Philadelphia that he brought to working class Lowell in “The Fighter.” Similarly, “Silver Linings Playbook” is about the power of competition to help people unite and overcome obstacles. Bradley Cooper’s acting career shot into another stratosphere with his role as a bi-polar man while Jennifer Lawrence took sudden command of the screen as the woman who helps him gain control of his life. Most importantly though, Robert De Niro makes a career comeback with a performance that is equal parts tough, earnest, and funny. Also, it has Chris Tucker holding a bunch of remotes. “Silver Linings Playbook” took a bunch of subjects that I could care less about (romantic comedies, the Philadelphia Eagles) and injects them with life. “Silver Linings Playbook” is about finding the good in every bad situation. I think we could all use a silver lining in our lives.


6. Bernie

“Bernie” was something of a comeback for its director and stars that was unfortunately seen by so few. Combining elements of documentary and scripted reenactment, this pitch black comedy tells the story of a bizarre murder and the even more bizarre man behind it. “Bernie” brings director Richard Linklater (“Dazed and Confused”) back to his beloved homeland of Texas and gives Jack Black the role of a lifetime as an overzealous funeral home operator who treats his job with love. Adding in interviews with people who actually knew Bernie was a fantastic touch, as was Matthew McConaughey as a hotheaded District Attorney.

See the top 5 after the jump:

5. Looper

“Looper” belongs high in the Hollywood pantheon of sci-fi. It’s following will only increase over the years. This dystopian vision’s comparisons to “Blade Runner” are apt, but I will say that I have never seen a story quite like this. Casting Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a younger version of Bruce Willis would have been brilliant enough. But then, “Looper” gives us a frightening child who might have supernatural powers and an even more frightening scene where a defiled man’s body totally changes all rules of how time travel works. “Looper” provides a vision of the not-so-distant future that seems convincing at times (especially all of the China stuff) and while it might give you a headache, it thoroughly examines the real life consequences of trying to alter the past. It provides nothing but thrilling and deep entertainment, and reasons to watch again and again.


4. Seven Psychopaths

The prospect of a new Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”) film excited me more than few other things this year. “Seven Psychopaths” is an excellent sophomore effort that does not disappoint. “Seven Psychopaths” is an homage and a manifesto both to anyone who loves movies and anyone who has ever thought up a story in their lives. It kills off two main characters before the first credits roll and its attempts at messing with our heads do not slow down from there. “Seven Psychopaths” manages to be funny while blurring the line between fact and fiction. It also includes some fine acting by Colin Farrel and Sam Rockwell as well as the best performance Christopher Walken has given in years. With its colorful dialogue and constant non-linear story lines, “Seven Psychopaths” solidifies Martin McDonagh as the only director who can rip off Quentin Tarantino yet still be as good as Quentin himself.


3. Moonrise Kingdom

Anyone who thinks that Wes Anderson has just become a satire of Wes Anderson is missing the point entirely. Like the best of Wes Anderson’s oeuvre, “Moonrise Kingdom” improved on repeat viewings. It’s filled with the kind of tiny details and colorful characters that I look for in a film. “Moonrise” may not have had a Royal Tenenbaum, but it did include two young actors (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) who give performances years beyond their wisdom. “Moonrise Kingdom” is about a love for culture, childhood, and adventure. It is one of Anderson’s darkest, yet one of his most fun to watch. 


2. Skyfall

After the failure of “Quantum of Solace,” 007 returned to form with a vengeance. “Skyfall” worked because it combined the darker edge of latest Bond movies (starting with “Casino Royale”) with the pre-technology savvy of the early days of the series. This trip down memory lane is up there with “Goldfinger” as an instant classic. It blew me away with its opening chase followed by its stunning opening credits, with a Bond anthem as good as anything that Nancy Sinatra and Paul McCartney have ever put together. As Bond, Daniel Craig was at the top of his game. A masterful performance from Javier Bardem proved the actor’s skill at playing the world’s creepiest and most startling villains. “Skyfall” impressed me most because it was both one hell of a good blockbuster, and the first time in a very long time that the Bond franchise has truly delved deep into the secret agent’s place in a post-Cold War world.

1. Django Unchained


Call it unfair but Quentin Tarantino still has the power to surprise me with every new film he makes. “Django Unchained” may have been his most gruesome, which is saying a lot, and also his funniest. It is Tarantino’s latest in his long string of vengeance tales, and the second (following “Inglourious Basterds”) in what I’m hoping to be a history bending trilogy. By removing the strains of historical accuracy from his films, Tarantino is stunningly able to find so much more truth than any Hollywood film. “Django Unchained” will probably offend many in its liberal use of a certain racial slur and its love of watching slave owners get what’s coming to them. Tarantino nails both the funny and disturbing aspects of the cruelty of slavery. Every actor rises to the occasion and gives performances of a lifetime. On par with the farce of the very similar “Blazing Saddles,” “Django Unchained” might be all over the place, and it might have gone on about 45 minutes too long, but it is a glorious, intense, mess of images and emotions that only gets better the more chaotic it becomes.


Honorable Mention: The Hunt- I had the privilege of seeing this incredible Danish film at Cannes. Unfortunately, it was not released in America this year, or else it might have nabbed the top spot. I am hoping this comes out very soon, because it has haunted me in a way that no other film ever has. And the beauty of foreign films is that they don’t have to settle for a Hollywood ending.

Others: The Master, Rust and Bone, Your Sister’s Sister, This Is 40, Celeste and Jesse Forever, Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Safety Not Guaranteed, Argo, Lawless, Killing Them Softly, The Hunger Games

Still Need To See: Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, Not Fade Away

Movie Review: Seven Psychopaths

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This is one of my favorite movie stills of all time.

“Seven Psychopaths” is one of those film in which its title is also the title of the screenplay a character is writing in the film. However, it’s not one of those films that just ends with the final scene being typed out, so we can take comfort in knowing that everything that just happened was only in some writer’s head.

“Seven Psychopaths” is an insane deconstruction of action movies that I loved every minute of. Perhaps Hollywood has reached a tipping point when it comes to telling crime tales, and “Seven Psychopaths” is exactly what it needed to put it back in line. Meta films walk a very tight rope, and “Seven Psychopaths” manages to consistently stay in line.


I have never understood why films about screenwriters have gotten such a bad reputation. Thanks to the weird minds of screenwriters created by the weird minds of screenwriters, we’ve gotten “Sunset Boulevard,” “Barton Fink,” and “Being John Malkovich.” I have a feeling that “Seven Psychopaths” was written when Martin McDonagh was going through writer’s block. Marty Faranan (Colin Farrell) hasn’t gotten past the title for his latest script, “Seven Psychopaths.” Marty is a drunk, which is in his heritage, as others tend to frequently remind him. He is also in a bad relationship with a controlling girlfriend (Abbie Cornish). He wants his script to be about seven different psychopaths. However, he’s having trouble finding his psychos.

“Seven Psychopaths” was made for both film buffs and crime news fanatics. Marty’s best friend happens to be a dognapper named Billy (Sam Rockwell). He wants to help Marty write his script, so he puts out an ad seeking out every psychopath in Los Angeles with a great story. Billy is always eating junk food and he may be completely insane. I always knew Rockwell was a great actor, but I never realized he could be this funny. His performance is filled with twitchiness and manic energy that makes it impossible to know what he could do next. If for some reason another film about Hunter S. Thompson were to be made (I’m hoping for a version of “Rum Diary” that’s actually good), I would cast Rockwell above all others to play Thompson.

Christopher Walken, in his best role in years, plays Hans, the eccentric boss of the dognapping empire. While he can kill it in small roles (“Pulp Fiction,” “Annie Hall”) he is capable of emotional range that goes much further than “creepy guy with a raspy voice.” His character is that archetypal old criminal who seems too nice to ever shoot. He’s also raising money for the same reason many other film criminals have: his wife has cancer. Why he thinks dognapping is the best way to pay for his wife’s treatment is beyond me, but I don’t think the reasons are all that important.

“Seven Psychopaths” commits so many felonies against good screenwriting. Yet, it breaks all of the rules with such confidence and self-awareness that it just can’t be held against McDonagh. Now, I’m not saying that self-awareness is an excuse for bad writing. However, they come across much better when they are done intentionally. “Seven Psychopaths” knows that the kind of story it wants to tell has been done so many times before, so it might as well try to present it in a new way.

“Seven Psychopaths” introduces characters and subplots, and then gets rid of them whenever it damn well pleases. Breaking screenwriting rules is actually beneficial here: it adds a dangerous, unstable element to the whole story. It’s a screenwriter projecting his own mind through the eyes of another screenwriter, and neither have any idea where their own stories can take them. And that is a beautiful thing about writing a film: when you have absolutely no idea where the story you are inventing is going to end.

Despite the unpredictability, McDonagh seemed to have a good plan for where to end this film in the same way that “In Bruges” tied everything together so perfectly in the end. “Seven Psychopaths” is a huge ensemble, and it makes a mobster played by Woody Harrelson, a serial killer who kills mobsters, and an adorable Shih Tzu all come together. I am not trying to start a fight here, but I will take that Shih Tzu over Uggie any day of the week.

I see “Seven Psychopaths” as being about the purpose of violence in movies. Sometimes, it has to exist just punish people who had it coming. At one point, Billy suggests they all just go out into the desert and forget about everything that happened. That doesn’t work for long, and not only because Billy is an idiot. Perhaps the reason that heist films end in a shootout is because that’s the only natural course for a criminal to go on. No matter how hard you try, cliches can never be completely avoided. But if you present them in the right way, they can show why movies are such an exhilarating experience.

A friend of mine made a very accurate remark about Martin McDonagh, in that he is the only auteur bred during a generation of Tarantino ripoffs that can ripoff Tarantino correctly. That may be partly because McDonagh got his training in theater, so he knows how to write the long scenes of dialogue that mark a Tarantino film. Not only that, but he also gives the characters funny and insightful things to say. We don’t mind if the story is delayed for a bit, because what the characters are saying is so good to listen to. If a film has good dialogue, that means it can be listened to without the accompanying images and still be just as good.

As someone who is currently writing a script, “Seven Psychopaths” spoke to me on a very high level by nailing a writer’s journey. Whenever it looks like we’re just sitting there doing nothing, there is actually about a thousand ideas forming in our heads, looking for ways to become a whole. “Seven Psychopaths” is filled with little mini stories that are just as good as the main story. Some of the mini stories are made up and told within a story that is also made up. “Seven Psychopaths” is a movie about how life doesn’t turn out like it does in the movie. Try not to let your head explode before you can actually go see it for yourself.

Yes, that is Tom Waits and a bunny rabbit.

Top 6 Most Anticipated Fall Films

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6. Argo

Surprisingly, Hollywood is very accepting of stars who reinvent themselves. After the bomb that shall not be named (but I’ll do it anyway: “Gigli”), Ben Affleck established himself as a fine director with “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town.” In “The Town,” he showed that he also isn’t bad in front of the camera. And now comes “Argo,” which has earned rave reviews at the Toronto Film Festival. “Argo” takes Affleck out of Boston, as he makes his first foray into historical drama. It’s about the recently uncovered CIA mission to use a fake movie as a way to get into Iran and free the Americans taken hostage in 1979. It’s a story that sounds almost too fascinating to be true. “Argo” looks like a smart political thriller that I’ll enjoy because it speaks in a language that I can understand: movies. Also, Bryan Cranston is in it. Unless he decides to star in “Rock of Ages 2,”* he can do no wrong in my book.

Coming To Theaters: October 12

5. Looper

Director Rian Johnson is skilled at toying with genre conventions (“Brick”). I can’t wait to see what he has in store for science fiction. The concept of “Looper” is already boggling my brain, yet the idea of Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing a younger Bruce Willis is kind of brilliant.** I am always prepared for disappointment  but I am envisioning this being a film along the same line as “Blade Runner” and “Minority Report.” Both of those films were misunderstood upon their original releases, but gained future followings. I am hoping that “Looper” breaks through in a big way, because Hollywood still needs to see that original ideas can succeed. No matter what happens, I believe “Looper” is the kind of film that will get better and make more sense upon repeated viewings.

Coming To Theaters: September 28

4. Seven Psychopaths

It’s been four long years since Martin McDonough’s brilliant debut feature “In Bruges.” His sophomore effort, “Seven Psychopaths,” looks just as twisted and funny but with less existential dread. “Seven Psychopaths” takes us into the underworld of dognapping, which I didn’t even know existed. While its poster is very similar to the poster for “Snatch,” I believe this one will be nowhere near the same, as McDonough isn’t just constantly trying to rip off Tarantino. Plus, it boasts a nearly perfect cast that includes Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, and Sam Rockwell. No word on whether or not, like “In Bruges,” this one will also include a midget being karate chopped. I will say that I have no idea what will happen in this movie, and that unpredictability is what will make it so fun.

Coming To Theaters: October 8


See the top 3 after the jump:



3. Lincoln

“Lincoln” is the kind of film that so many have dreamed, but never thought would actually exist. It has Spielberg at the helm and Daniel Day-Lewis playing Honest Abe. Hopefully, Spielberg will appeal to his darker side and this one won’t end with the family’s house totally intact despite the fact that the entire city has been destroyed by aliens (I’m still mad about the end of “War of the Worlds”). However, recounting history is one of the things Spielberg does best. Also, did I mention that Daniel Day-Lewis is playing Lincoln? Just from one glance of the first headshot of him as Lincoln, I could already tell that this will be the closest to the real thing that we will probably ever get.

Coming To Theaters: November 9

2. Skyfall

After the Bond series reinvented itself with a vengeance with “Casino Royale,” it did a spin in the wrong direction with the disappointing “Quantum of Solace.” However, I will see a Bond movie whenever it comes out, a tribute to how timeless 007 is. Thanksgiving never feels the same without him. Plus, Sam Mendes (“American Beauty,” “Road to Perdition”) is directing and should be able to breath some new life into it. And Javier Bardem, who has a talent for playing villains (see: “No Country for Old Men”) will play Bond’a new nemesis. If Mendes can infuse the wit of classic Bond movies with the grittiness of “Casino Royale,” minus the technological lunacy of the Brosnan years, then “Skyfall” could be the best blockbuster of the second half of 2012.

Coming To Theaters: November 9

1. The Master

Only Paul Thomas Anderson could make a film that’s already being hailed a masterpiece based on its trailer alone. Trailers are usually misleading, but I have a good feeling that what we saw (at least in tone) is what we will get, plus much more. Seriously, I could watch that trailer on repeat. Anyway, I am  beyond excited to see Anderson’s latest take on false prophets. There has been controversy about the film’s blatant Scientology inspirations, which I don’t think will stop anytime soon. Anderson’s films haunt me long after I leave the theater. After the end credits for “There Will Be Blood” abruptly came up, I sat there glued to my seat, as if I had been shot with a stun gun. Such visceral reactions are an exciting thing that have been missing from movies lately. “The Master” is that jolt of cinematic awe that I’ve been waiting for.

Coming To Theaters: September 14


*I really hope this never gets made.
**As long as it’s not “The Kid.”

The Movie About Dognapping You’ve Always Dreamed Of: Seven Psychopaths Trailer

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I only post trailers for movies when it is something I am irrationally excited for and have irrationally high expectations for.

Today, the trailer for “Seven Psychopaths,” the new film from Martin McDonagh, was released. McDonagh’s last film was his 2008 directorial debut “In Bruges” which remains one of my favorite films of the past five years. “Seven Psychopaths” has McDonagh re-teaming with Colin Farrell, whose abilities as a comedic actor remain severely underrated. It also stars Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken, who are two of my favorite actors, as well as Woody Harrelson, who I like most of the time. It also has Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) sitting on a toilet, just in case you were dying to know what that looks like.

The story seems to revolve around criminals who kidnap people’s dogs, return them, and then collect the reward money. “Seven Psychopaths” could be somewhat less dark than “In Bruges,” if there are as many animal reaction shots in it as the trailer seems to portend. However, based on “Bruges,” McDonagh is not one who will let criminals get away with their wrongdoings unscathed.

Are you as excited for “Seven Psychopaths” as I am? Have you seen “In Bruges” yet? If your answer to the latter question is no, go rent it right away. Watch the trailer for “Seven Psychopaths” below: