The 2023 Pierce Brosnan vehicle Fast Charlie has the star in the firing line. His character “Charlie” has a bump in his autumn career as hitman/enforcer when a hit goes wrong.
This Richard Wenk/Victor Gischler script, directed by Phillip Noyce is a reworking of about every hitman film made. The killer who loves classical music and is a gourmet chef is almost a trope by now. Fast Charlie moves well enough but is let down abit by too many clichés.
The story
Charlie looks out for his boss Stan. He has to try out a new kid for the latest hit and it goes wrong. The rest of the film sees Charlie,and the messed up hit’s ex trying to stay alive. Meanwhile the aggrieved client wipes out Charlie’s “family.”
The Main Cast
Pierce Brosnan is Charlie Swift, former Marine and older hitman.
Morena Baccarin is Marcie Kramer: Taxidermist extraordinary and ex wife of that messed up hit; Rollo.
James Caan is Stan Mullen. The head of the family who suffers from dementia.
Gbenga Akinnagbe is Beggar. The gang leader who wants Mullen’s family eradicated with extreme prejudice.
Forced
The partnership between Marcie and Charlie feels contrived and forced. The push for a “May/December” romance doesn’t work easily. Baccarin and Brosnan do what they do best; act. But the script lets them down.
Fast Charlie never moves smoothly. It is erratic and spends too much time copying copies of a copy. It is difficult to find an original moment in the movie. The two stars deserve better.
Amazingly it still works
The plot does still work, somewhat amazingly, and the film is pleasant to watch. Marcie fixing up the junior hitman “Donut” AKA Blade (Brennan Keel Cook) is funny and works well.
It was great to see the blink and you’ll miss it cameo by Sharon Gless as Mavis. She is an all time favorite from her Cagney and Lacey days up till her Burn Notice show stopper as Michael’s mum.
Overall the film entertains but without any real heart.
The Verdict
A solid 3 stars here. Nothing is too blazingly original bar the taxidermy angle. Brosnan could have phoned his performance in though. This was James Caan’s last film and he was, according to IMDb, on oxygen and in a wheelchair while working.
Fast Charlie is available on Hulu and other streaming platforms.
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