Following the Paths of Psychos

One of the most originally creative scripts to be found on either side of Ebbing, Missouri, Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths, released in 2012, is an example of the writer/director’s many talents (twisty nuanced stories, richly drawn characters, beautiful dialogue, and so much more) that have made his most recent effort, hinted at above, Oscar bait this Awards season.

With a screenplay that keeps the audience on its toes for quite a while, we are often guessing what we are truly watching. At first glance a meta cinematic commentary on writing a screenplay – Colin Farrell’s Marty has writer’s block, it is perhaps best summed up after he heads out into the desert with his two buddies. . . leading to one of them, Sam Rockwell’s Billy, describing how his treatment of the script should conclude. With Marty in disbelief at its over-the-top violence, the third friend, Christopher Walken’s Hans responds, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, “It’s got layers, you know. . . it’s got. . . It’s got many layers”. Adding another ‘layer’ of meta, we eventually realize that not all that is written on the page is fictional and that we may be watching flashbacks from several characters’ pasts.

Looking to break the mould, Marty’s narrative, which will try to find a peaceful outcome to the lives of ‘seven psychopaths’, is at odds with his friend Billy’s perspective. A quirky actor who nabs dogs for mastermind Hans, they make the mistake of taking gangster Charlie’s (Woody Harrelson) prized Shih Tzu. Hunted by the killer, his right hand man Paulo (Zeljko Ivanek) and the rest of his henchmen, he is not the type of guy you mess with, perfectly realized in how he deals with his dog walker (played with frantic defensiveness by Gabourey Sidibe).

The half-sheet poster gives you an idea of the excellent cast as well as the clever tagline for the film

Further complicating things, Billy has put an add in the weekly paper asking psychopaths to come visit Marty if they are interested in seeing their stories put up on the silver screen. Of course, a bunny rabbit petting Zachariah (Tom Waits) drops by soon after, telling his gruesome tale; the only caveat to it being used is that he wants his information to be put onscreen following the end of the film – as he is still desperately in love with his long lost woman. The cast is rounded out by excellent cameos from Michael Pitt, Michael Stuhlbarg, Abbie Cornish, Harry Dean Stanton, Long Nguyen, Linda Bright Clay and Olga Kurylenko.

As with his other features, McDonagh laces his script with acid searing wit, dark comedy for the ages. . . for example, “you can’t let the animals die in a movie. . . only the women”. It is this acerbic twist that draws the audience in, realistically flawed logic like when Billy points out that Hans’ Gandhi perspective of “an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind” is wrong in that “there’ll be one guy left with one eye. How’s the last blind guy gonna take out the eye of the last guy left, who’s still got one eye! All that guy has to do is run away and hide behind a bush. Gandhi was wrong, it’s just that nobody’s got the balls to come right out and say it”. A final example finds Hans unwilling to put his hands up while at gunpoint – baffling the thug.

A sidenote suggestion for those who enjoy the movie, or cats – do a quick Youtube search for “Seven PsychoCats”, a clever reworking of the trailer with cats as stand-ins for the actors.

Though not as poignant or magical as his earlier effort, In Bruges (a movie that somehow feels spontaneous despite being perfectly calculated – nearly impossible to find one loophole in its telling), McDonagh once again shows his deft writing touch, satirizing both gangster crime flicks and screen writing throughout. Much like Bruges, flyaway comments or happenings that feel like nothing more than a simple gag, come back into play in unexpected ways – sure to delight seasoned movie watchers and newbies alike. Thankfully, his masterful dialogue falls into the hands of superlative thespians, actors that keep us guessing, unsure when things could turn from funny to violent, or vice versa. At this point, I feel it prudent to pass along that the film is, at times, rather excessive in its violence – a warning to those who cannot handle such things. A final inside joke for eagle eyed viewers finds the name ‘Rourke’ etched on a tombstone in Billy’s envisioned graveyard shootout conclusion. Mickey Rourke was cast in Harrelson’s role, but dropped out after disagreeing with McDonagh – a subtly hidden dig directed at the actor. Don’t forget about this sadly under-seen gem of a movie, its got flair and isn’t grey at all.