Fast Charlie

You might say that revenge is ‘in’ when it comes to movies these days. A good starting point for a movie is to take something that one person loves more than life itself, yada yada yada, as they say, ‘payback is a bitch’. Not all revenge movies are created equal, and they are not a new genre, as some of the best ones come from the 1970s. Those movies were not shiny; no, instead, they were downright dirty, and I kind of miss movies like that. Pierce Brosnan’s new film, Fast Charlie, reminded me of those films, as it is a straight-up modern genre film.

When we first meet Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan), we see that he is in quite the pickle. Standing in a junkyard, he has someone pointing a gun at him, which doesn’t make his future look too bright. What though led Charlie to this moment? Well, we are about to find out. Charlie, you see, is an enforcer for a guy named Stan Mullen (James Caan), and there is a situation that needs some enforcing. Charlie takes a new guy, who is trying to make a name for himself, and things don’t go as planned. That job, though, sets off a chain reaction and soon Stan and all of Charlie’s crime family are no more. Charlie wants answers and seeks out the guy he killed, ex-wife Marcie (Morena Baccarin), for some answers. He’s not the only one seeking her out, and soon they are helping each other, while Charlie gets a little revenge along the way.

Written by Richard Wenk, from Victor Gischler’s novel Gun Monkeys, Fast Charlie keeps a pretty mean/lean plot, as he and director Phillip Noyce know exactly what this film should be. The story has a very Elmore Leonard vibe to it, with its small-time crooks and a caper that brings them all together. Filled with smart dialogue and real charm, something you would expect with Brosnan in the lead, Fast Charlie is a real joy to watch. This is not a balls-to-the-wall story; instead, it is more a maze, and dots are connected by some good ol’ fashioned investigating to help put all the pieces together. When it is all done, it all adds up to a suspenseful, at times exhilarating, and funny action thriller.

I didn’t really know what to expect with Fast Charlie, but the combination of Brosnan and Noyce definitely got my attention. Needless to say, it hit the spot for me, as it is brutal when it needs to be, as well as delivering something both funny and even heartfelt. Everything is not perfect; I mean Brosnan’s southern accent was a choice, but for every one thing you might find wrong, there is much more done right. Once you get past that accent, Brosnan is as good as ever, and Baccarin is just the right person to play opposite him, delivering a sharp performance. Fast Charlie is simply finds a way to make what a lot fail to achieve, a classy action-thriller.”