A cliched thriller elevated by a charming Pierce Brosnan performance
Anybody missing Pierce Brosnan’s turn as James Bond will want to tune into this recent crime thriller.
The softly-spoken actor doesn’t star as a secret agent, however. Instead, he takes on the role of Charlie Swift, a hitman who shares similarities to Bond in his dress style, knack with a gun, propensity for witty quips, and ability to attract beautiful women.
When comparing this movie to Brosnan’s 007 movies, Fast Charlie is more akin to The World Is Not Enough than Goldeneye. This isn’t because it shares plot similarities or the movie’s stunts. Rather, it’s because it’s as forgettable as that Bond flick, with characters and a plotline that you won’t remember much about after the end credits are over. That doesn’t mean this Mississippi-set crime thriller is completely unenjoyable, however.
Directed by Phillip Noyce (The Quiet American), the movie stars the former 007 as the titular Charlie, an ex-Marine turned fixer whose latest job goes terribly wrong when his new assistant misjudges the hit. The assassination, which is carried out with an explosive box of doughnuts, renders the target unrecognizable, which isn’t the ideal situation due to the client needing evidence of the kill.
What follows is a complicated and not very well-thought-out series of plot points with Charlie trying to remedy this tricky situation. Along the way he meets and falls in love with the target’s ex-wife (a very Bond-ian thing to do), discovers a betrayal, and finds himself in hot water when a rival criminal gang decide to go after him and his employer, crime boss Stan Mullen (James Caan).
Brosnan, as the weary enforcer, is very good in the role, even though he struggles to separate this new character from that of the MI6 super-spy.
James Caan, in his final performance as Charlie’s boss, offers good value too, though it’s clear that the actor, like the crime boss he portrays, is in poor health. Seeing Caan on screen again is a joy but it’s also an emotionally moving experience considering his frail state (he is confined to a wheelchair) and the knowledge that he died a short while after filming.
As good as the performances are, the movie is undone by an implausible romantic subplot and other story strands that strain to be believable. If you come to Fast Charlie hoping for a coherent script, a set of well-developed characters and originality, you are going to be sorely disappointed.
But if you’re here for a few B-movie thrills and occasionally funny lines of dialogue (the best of which go to Sharon Gless as a spectacularly un-ladylike mother-in-law) then you might find something to enjoy with this one.
To its credit, Fast Charlie isn’t as bad as other late-in-the-day movies for once-popular film stars struggling to find projects worthy of their talents.
Liam Neeson, Gerard Butler, and John Cusack are just a few of the actors who, in the last few years, have shown up in low-rent movies that are far beneath them. Pierce Brosnan has been in a few of his own – Final Score, The Misfits – but at least he manages to maintain audience interest with charismatic performances, something that can’t always be said of his peers.
At just over 90 minutes, Fast Charlie offers bright and breezy entertainment that is ideal for the undemanding. It’s far from being a highlight on Australian director Phillip Noyce’s resume but he’s a good enough director to make this B-flick look better than it is, with good location shots in Biloxi and New Orleans and fast-moving camerawork to keep the plot moving.
Ultimately, the movie isn’t great. But for a final opportunity to see legendary actor James Caan on screen and the chance to see Brosnan in a role reminiscent of James Bond (in style if not in character), this might be worth a watch if it catches you in the right frame of mind.
Read More: Fast Charlie Ending Explained
Feel free to check out more of our movie reviews here!
-
Verdict - 6/10
6/10