Ben Wheatley has been carving out a dark niche for himself the last few years, with features such as Down Terrace, Kill List, Sightseers, A Field in England, and most recently High-Rise. Each is a brilliant, delightfully twisted contribution to British cinema. While his latest film Free Fire, a 1970’s action romp, looks to be his most mainstream effort yet, it arrives with that wry Wheatley wit stamped on a relatively simple premise, a gun deal gone bad.
Two groups meet in an abandoned Boston warehouse, brought together by fixer Justine (Brie Larson) and aided by negotiator Ord (Armie Hammer), to complete an illicit gun deal. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) crew is led by Chris (Cillian Murphy) and Frank (Michael Smiley), with hired-muscle (a term used loosely) Bernie (Enzo Cilenti) and Stevo (Sam Riley). Enter the sellers, flashy salesman Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and his right-hand man Martin (Babou Ceesay). Friction is evident from the off, but when Vernon’s associates Gordon (Noah Taylor) and Harry (Jack Reynor) arrive, an incident between Harry and Stevo from earlier in the evening incites a massive fallout. After the first bullet is fired, utter mayhem is unleashed.
Free Fire is short on plot, but big on everything else. A simple premise is driven by these characters and their antagonism with each other, not just sellers vs. buyers, but within each group too. It’s a film that is basically men shooting at each other because they can’t get their shit under control, the perfect castigation of unchecked masculinity. Moments of calm and rationality set in before someone is quickly set off again, and insults and petty barbs fan the flames of conflict as much as a bullet wound.
Brie Larson’s Justine is a sane anchor, the only character that actually seems determined to get out. Sharlto Copley has never been better than as Vern, a character who was “misdiagnosed as a child genius and never got over it.” Armie Hammer also brings a brilliant overbearing charm that causes as much friction as the more coarse work done by Michael Smiley & Co. There’s a liberal splashing of irreverent humor, while its ‘70s setting gives it a vibrant aesthetic and charm, a film that tonally would pair wonderfully with The Nice Guys.
The violence is gleeful, the dialogue wonderfully entertaining and delivered by a host of colorful characters. The quips fly as fast as bullets, and that it’s sustained for nearly the entirety of its runtime ensures Free Fire is a rollicking piece of entertainment. The script is peppered with colloquialisms and era specific nods; a comment about “learning manners from the English” cuts deeper than you think, while pithy insults such as “chocolate teapot” are easy to miss, but only add to the delight for those in the know. Overall, it veers wildly from sarcasm, to coarse language, to playground trashtalk, and back again. It’s a fascinating reflection of the characters and something that keeps the film’s frenetic roundabout momentum going.
Wheatley and co-writer Amy Jump serve a reminder that gun fights are not snazzy dramatic things; they can be long, dirty drawn out affairs. Each impact is visceral, the pain is palpable, all unfolding in this grimy locale. Despite this, the hilarity of seeing these men get messed up cannot be understated. Physical comedy is often front and center, with events bordering on a Looney Tunes cartoon at times. This revelry in their misery ensures you’ll be laughing as much as grimacing at the grislier moments.
I recently praised Edgar Wright for his new film Baby Driver, and how deftly it layers together action and dialogue with music. From a technical point of view, what Wheatley has done is equally impressive, if not as immediately evident. Not just in terms of his reverence for 1970s heist/crime films such as Walter Hill’s The Driver, but in embracing such a bare bones idea, one that readily would show off any flaws, and delivering such an impressively constructed piece. There’s a shot early in the film that hovers above his warehouse, lingering long enough to allow you to see the battlefield where events will unfold. Every movement, gun shot, insult, and instruction carries a weight and consequence. The choreography of Free Fire’s action and story is truly impressive. Together with DP Laurie Rose, they make great use of this space, ensuring a frenetic feel, but never losing perspective. This is married to superb sound design. The gunfire will get your attention, but how conversations lay over each other, and characters are brought in and out of focus through sound is brilliantly executed. In concert, these elements ensure Free Fire is symphonic chaos unleashed on screen, confirming Wheatley as one of the most exciting British directors working today.
Free Fire has a concept that could easily fall apart in lesser hands, but thanks to Ben Wheatley and a gusto cast, it delivers on every level. It’s a messy, hilarious indictment of the male ego that sustains its mayhem for the entirety of the runtime. Stylish and darkly comedic, charm and hilarity ooze as much as much as sweat and blood, resulting in a glorious barrage of banter, bullets, and John Denver. Bloody brilliance from Ben Wheatley.
Free Fire had its US Premiere at SXSW 2017 and is released nationwide on April 21st