Seven Psychopaths

            I got to see two movies this weekend!  While they were two totally different genres, they had one major plot point in common.  Both main characters were writers with a drinking problem.  I'll tell you all about Sinister on Wednesday (which you should watch if you consider yourself even a tiny bit of a horror film fan). 

            But first I'm going to convince you to go see SevenPsychopaths.

            On to the review!

            Seven Psychopaths stars Collin Farrell as Marty, a screenwriter who has fallen behind on his promised script.  Titled 'Seven Psychopaths,' (meta!) he kind of only has two or three psychopaths fleshed out and no plot to speak of.  This is a problem, and poor Marty would rather seek motivation in alcohol rather than the world around him.

            Fortunately(?) for him, he's got a friend in Billy (Sam Rockwell).  Part-time dognapper and full-time crazy, Billy genuinely cares about Marty and wants to see him finish his script, and maybe lay off the booze.  Unfortunately, Billy's not very good at being normal so his ideas tend to do more harm than good.

            The plot kicks off when Billy steals the dog of local Mafioso Charlie (Woody Harrelson).  Charlie has anger issues, and coupled with his lack of issues about shooting people, Billy and his dognapping partner Hans (Christopher Walken) find themselves in serious trouble.  While Marty is not part of the scheme, he finds himself caught up in the shenanigans.

            Meanwhile, Billy posts an ad asking for actual psychopaths to come and give their story to Marty in an attempt to motivate him.  We only meet one psychopath, but damn is he worth it.  Zachariah (Tom Waits) has a hell of a story, and it actually helps to fire Marty up.

            Because the plot hinges so much on its chaos, and randomly switching between the real world and the script for 'Seven Psychopaths,' I don't want to talk too much about it.  Suffice it to say that this is the first time since Adaptation that really nails 'writer having trouble with a screenplay' as a legitimately entertaining plot.

            This can all be attributed to the terrific work of writer/director Martin McDonagh.  His first film In Bruges was equally brilliant, if a bit melancholy.  He also knows just how to get what he needs from his actors.  While Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken and Collin Farrell all hit their notes, it's Sam Rockwell who steals every scene he's in.  I actually think it's a shame that this isn't a 'prestige film' because I'd like to get on the 'Sam Rockwell for Best Supporting Actor Oscar' train.

            There are so many plots and subplots constantly weaving in and out of this movie that sometimes it's hard to figure out just where a scene is going, but it all pays off in the end.  The only thing that may turn people off is that McDonagh does a lot of self-referencing.  Very often the characters will discuss something from the script only to have it happen in real life, or vice versa.  While I personally felt he'd hit the perfect balance, other people may not be so forgiving.

            If you like movies that mess with your head, or just want to watch a film that somehow turns a stolen dog into multiple homicides, check out Seven Psychopaths.