Fast Charlie

I usually don't go for hitman movies, but Fast Charlie was a pleasant surprise. Pierce Brosnan as Charlie had this laid-back yet intense vibe that worked well for the character. The film's setting in the South gave it a unique flavor, different from the usual city-based crime thrillers. What I really appreciated was the subplot with Marcie, played by Morena Baccarin. Their relationship felt real, not forced like in some other movies in this genre. And James Caan still had that screen presence that made him a in his final role. The film had some typical action sequences, sure, but they were well-executed. It's not just about the action though; the story had depth, especially with Charlie contemplating and aspiring towards a a different life. Definitely worth a watch.

Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan) is a former Marine turned fixer for the crime syndicate in Biloxi, Mississippi that holds together even in the face of its aging head Stan Mullen's (James Caan) diminishing mental faculties. Following a hit on a low level crook named Rollo on behalf of New Orleans crime boss Beggar (Gbenga Akinnagbe), Beggar soon stages an attack that leaves most of the Biloxi crew dead. Charlie teams up with Rollo's ex Marcie (Morenca Baccarin) to find some evidence on Beggar he'd stashed away in order to take down Beggar and avenge his crew.

Fast Charlie is an adaptation of the 2001 crime novel Gun Monkeys by Victor Gischler. Attempts had been made as far back as 2009 to adapt the novel to film when director Ryuhei Kitamura was slated to direct from a script by Lee Goldberg, but fell into development hell until producer Dan Grodnik acquired the project and resurrected it as a directing vehicle for Phillip Noyce with Richard Wenk of the Denzel Washington Equalizer films writing the script. Now unceremoniously released to on-demand, one would be forgiven for thinking this was throwaway action fodder built around a name cast. While Fast Charlie does hit upon many of the touchstones of the hitman adjacent action genre, it has a solid against type performance from Brosnan and a setting that distinguishes it from the more typical urban settings of this type of film.

While I had reservations about Pierce Brosnan playing a southern Fixer for the Biloxi mafia, he does a pretty good job of taking on the accent and for the most part I was able to buy Brosnan as a hard edged aging fixer for a low level criminal enterprise. Despite now being in his 70s Brosnan still exudes strong charisma and charm and handles himself well enough in the action beats that Phillip Noyce knows how to stage. While the movie does include romantic subtext between Morena Baccarin's Marcie and Brosnan's Charlie (complete with a noticeable if not overtly objectionable age gap) at least Marcie is able to hold her own as a reasonably compelling character. James Caan is decent as the aging mob boss Stan Mullen in his final role, but as the character is in the waning years of his life Caan doesn't really get to do much except act confused and the fact he seems like he's still central to the Biloxi mafia's operations is never really addressed in how this is all working and is nebulously defined at best.

This really goes into the biggest weakness of Fast Charlie in that it feels like its noir story isn't fully developed and squanders its unique setting for a conventional revenge narrative. While the movie's perfectly serviceable on that front, the movie's opening with its quirky characterization of a man named "Blade" who beheads a guy with a blasting cap loaded donut or the need to Identify an assassination target via a tattoo on his posterior feel like remnants from a quirkier more darkly comic material that Noyce and Wenk have decided to play more straight. I'll admit I don't know a lot about Victor Gischler, but from what I've seen it looks like he's known for adding humor to his crime stories and given Noyce is more known for straight action/thrillers with no comedy to his name I really have to wonder if Wenk and Noyce were the right team to tackle this material.

As a performance piece for Pierce Brosnan, his central performance as Charlie Swift makes the movie worth a one time viewing in my opinion (when it hits whatever streaming service you happen to already be a member of) and it has more ambition and personality than your average VOD action thriller of this type. With that said there's moments where the original quirkiness and absurdity of the original premise shine through and they feel somewhat at odds with the direction Noyce and Wenk wanted to take this material and story elements such as how the Biloxi mafia continues to operate with its head's declining faculties feel underdeveloped and could've served as a movie unto themselves. A decent enough time killer that feels like it could've been much more.

Fast Charlie' hit me with a wave of nostalgia. Like a throwback to the classic action movies of the past but with a fresh twist. The film has this vintage vibe, from the choice of music to the way scenes are shot, reminiscent of old-school crime thrillers. Brosnan fits into this world seamlessly, almost like a nod to his earlier roles, or maybe standing on the shoulders of those roles. There's a familiarity in 'Fast Charlie' that brings back memories of sitting on the couch, watching action heroes take on the bad guys. Yet, it doesn't feel dated. The movie balances its nostalgic elements with contemporary themes and visuals, making it a unique blend of old and new. It's a film that can be appreciated by fans of classic action as well as newcomers to the genre.

This has entertaining moments, but the clichés are endless and the dialog is as wooden as it gets. The people giving this a 10/10 are either plants or... special. There was no character development, the scene setting was terrible, the capricious flip flop in the balance of power is laughable, and the terrible pacing (especially at the end) is amateurish. Again, there are definitely scenes that hold attention, but that's not enough to give this movie a high rating. My guess is Pierce accepted this role because he owed someone a favor, or he's going broke and needed the money. Either way, this was definitely a debit from his brand, not a credit to it.

6/10.

It's a real puzzle why films like Fast Charlie aren't made much anymore, or if they are, they're incredibly hard to find. This film hits a sweet spot with its well-executed action sequences and a storyline that, while familiar, is still engaging. Pierce Brosnan's performance as an aging hitman is awesome, and so different to what i've seen him do in the past. Bringing depth to a role that could easily have been one-dimensional.

The trend in cinema seems to have shifted towards blockbuster franchises or ultra-indie films, leaving little room for these kinds of mid-budget, character-driven action movies. They're not flashy enough to catch mainstream attention and not obscure enough to become cult hits. It's like you need to be a detective to hunt them down in the sea of content available today.

There's definitely a gap in the market for a streaming service dedicated to these hidden gems. Imagine a platform, maybe called "Hidden Gems," where you could find these underrated movies easily. It would be a treasure trove for film enthusiasts who crave the kind of solid storytelling and performances that "Fast Charlie" delivers but often gets lost in the shuffle of more prominent releases. A service like this could bring these overlooked films into the spotlight they deserve.