Seven Psychopaths

**The following is a long form review that I originally wrote in 2012.** The movie is incredibly convoluted, so it's hard to know what to say that definitely won't end up being a spoiler, so maybe it would be better if I just stuck to talking about the actors, as it's a crazy bunch of them for McDonagh to bring together. Don't believe the trailer, and certainly don't believe the posters. _Seven Psychopaths_ has nothing to do with either of them. Olga Kurylenko (_Max Payne, Quantum of Solace_) is shamefully under-used, but at least Martin McDonagh acknowledges that his film's female…

<em>’Seven Psychopaths’</em> didn’t quite do it for me. It’s not far adrift from being a good movie, I just wasn’t able to connect to it in the end. It kinda has similar issues that I found with this director’s previous film, <em>’In Bruges’</em>; it’s better than that one, mind. The comedy is lacklustre and the cast don’t feel at their best. Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken and Woody Harrelson being in the same flick is a recipe for success, so I am disappointed to say that I didn’t rate this one. The story has some solid moments and in summary is intriguing, though how it is…

“Marty” (Colin Farrell) has an idea for a great screenplay, but thus far has only come up with a title. Hungover, as usual, he’s chatting with his pal “Billy” (Sam Rockwell) who is just full of ideas for his psychopathic characters but hates to impose on his creatively constipated buddy. Now “Billy”, aside from having a vivid imagination, is also involved in a cunning wheeze with the cravat wearing “Hans” (Christopher Walken) that involves a bit of high-end schnauzer snaffling! Yep - they dognap! It’s when he turns up to visit the suitably bemused “Marty” with a perfectly pet-icured Shih Zhu…

**Seven Psychopaths (2012)** _Directed by Martin McDonagh_ This is pure fun, a twisted crime comedy with an all-star cast firing on all cylinders. Colin Farrell plays a struggling screenwriter named Marty trying to finish his script "Seven Psychopaths" while his friends Billy (Sam Rockwell) and Hans (Christopher Walken) run a dog-kidnapping scheme that goes sideways when they steal a gangster's (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu. The plot is twisted in more ways than one, folding back on itself as the real-life chaos becomes material for Marty's screenplay. The meta angle works here.…