New Jersey Stage 2017: Issue 4 | Page 91

a degree that often causes sur- prise whenever they make a re- appearance. Larson’s Justine is introduced in a manner that sug- gests she’s set to play a pivotal role, but she’s really only there to facilitate some sexist ‘70s humor. For a movie in which every character is shot multiple times, and given its comic tone, the violence of Free Fire is all too restrained. Save for a gory mo- ment involving a van, the sort of ‘splatstick’ you might expect from such a scenario is notably absent. All the laughs come from the dialogue (mostly from Smi- ley and Copley, who finally gets material that suits his one-di- mensional ‘Saffer’ schtick), when we should be laughing at the action also. Wheatley and Jump have done a fine job of putting witty one-liners in the mouths of their characters, but when it comes to putting guns in their hands, I wish they had sold their script to a director more com- fortable with visceral action. w Free Fire 3 stars out of 5 Directed by: Ben Wheatley Starring: Brie Larson, Enzo Cilenti, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Jack Reynor, Cillian Murphy, Babou Ceesay, Noah Taylor NJ STAGE 2017 - Vol. 4 No. 4 INDEX NEXT ARTICLE 91