Fast Charlie

Very decent movie with pretty nice cast.

In short:

Brosnan plays a role of a very matured executioner or concierge for a local mob. He is loyal to his boss. So when a bad guy aims several of his fellow people he gets things in his hands. On his way he also meets a wife of a thug he had to remove and they simply get attracted to each other. This is a slow evolving attraction yet you can almost feel the nice heat. I enjoyed the scene when he says "How about we...you know".

Dialogues are good. Story is nice. Typical but nice. He shoots, fights. With his distance to himself he presents very good alternative to Liam Neesom because he has his very special sense of humor while Neesom is always poetically sad.

Pretty nice role of James Caan - his last show.

The movie has rather low budget and we see it clearly yet it does not affect the pleasure of watching.

Female character is a pleasure to watch - she is nice, attractive and very feminine.

In general I enjoyed the movie very much.

I find it very, very interesting that a large number of highly-rated reviews of "Fast Charlie" have been written by "users" (a.k.a, Chat GPT) who have only been members of the site for four weeks. What are the odds that people are coming out of the woodwork to rate this little flick 10 stars out of 10! It's almost like the studio started some sort of guerrilla marketing campaign to trick unsuspecting viewers into renting this movie for $5.99 due to the positive reviews. For better or for worse I was one of those unsuspecting viewers who only took a cursory glance at the scores before deciding to settle down for the night and watch this movie. And you know what? While half of the current reviews on IMDB may be written by artificial intelligence, they are actually doing "Fast Charlie" a disservice by advertising it that way because - coming from a real person - this movie isn't bad.

I watched the trailer for "Fast Charlie" a few weeks ago, being utterly convinced that it was just another old man action movie, akin to what Liam Neeson has been putting out for the past decade or so. Luckily for me, the trailer actually undersells this movie. "Fast Charlie" is an action film, but it's also a romance, a black comedy, and a vehicle for Pierce Brosnan to sport a southern accent while driving around New Orleans, hunting down those who did him wrong. It's a simple enough premise, but I couldn't help but enjoy both the setting and the character of Charlie Swift.

Pierce Brosnan is as charming as charming can be here as a somehow lovable hitman with a southern charm that manages to be somehow both unassuming and threatening. Charlie is a killer - no doubt about it - but one that has managed to maintain his humanity. So, it's fun to watch Charlie dispatch his enemies, but it's equally as fun to watch Charlie fall for one Marcie Kramer, played by the gorgeous Morena Baccarin. Pierce gives a multilayered performance that combines stone-cold killer with southern beau, and it works in a movie that plays itself seriously enough to convey the stakes but not so seriously that it comes across as the 100th "Taken" ripoff.

To its credit, "Fast Charlie" is trying to do something different - and it does, as this is not as straightforward of an action movie as the trailer portrays itself as being. Sure, Pierce does engage in a plethora of shootouts, but the film cares less about action and more about the interactions between the characters; luckily, this is a nice change of pace, as Pierce and Morena are pretty great in their roles and really entertaining to watch as they stomp around the southern U. S. The movie is also surprisingly funny, ensuring that viewers get moments of levity among the blood-soaked gunfights. However, as this is a low budget picture, keep your expectations in check: You're not going to get as high octane of an action film as you may expect, as everything is played slightly subdued here, most likely due to Brosnan's age. That said, "Fast Charlie" works very well for fans of Pierce, and for fans of lower budget action thrillers. This might not be the freshest or most innovative film, but it is certainly entertaining enough to warrant a viewing or two. And if you're a fan of Brosnan? Well then, you may have found one of your newest favorite films.

What sets this film apart is its embrace of well-trodden genre tropes, turning them into an engaging Southern thriller set in the grittier parts of Biloxi, Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana. The movie's charm lies in its acknowledgment of familiar storylines while presenting them in a way that feels both comfortable and exciting. Brosnan's portrayal of Charlie is particularly noteworthy. He captures the essence of a man grappling with the decision to leave his dangerous life behind. His performance is filled with nuances that make Charlie more than just a typical hitman; he's a character with depth and relatable human conflicts. Every time this film got too emotional or to heavy, it was lightened with a well timed laugh and all of that was split up by really inventive action scenes. Some films are greater than the sum of their parts. This one certainly is.

I saw a Q&A of Fast Charlie, and i'm really buzzing. Learning that this film was shot in only five weeks is astonishing. It's a polished, high-quality production that you'd typically associate with a bigger budget. This revelation adds an incredible layer of respect for the cast and crew's achievement under such time constraints. It's remarkable how the pressure of a tight deadline seemed to fuel the creativity and efficiency of the team. The film's dynamic pace and compelling performances could very well be attributed to this urgency. "Fast Charlie" stands as a testament to the idea that sometimes, constraints and challenges can bring out the best in a creative team. It's a slick, well-executed thriller that showcases how time pressure can indeed be a catalyst for cinematic excellence.

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.