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