Seven Psychopaths

This is a wildly engaging movie from Martin McDonagh, the man who brought us the brilliant In Bruges, my pick for the year’s best movie in 2008. Like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson and Wes Anderson, McDonagh creates movies that transcend genres. Colin Farrell stars as Martin, a character modeled after the director. Martin is trying to write a screenplay called Seven Psychopaths, and he’s wracking his brain for seven characters with distinctive killing methods. The way these characters appear to him is part of this film’s unending fun. Sam Rockwell plays Billy, Martin’s best bud, a struggling actor who makes money on the side kidnapping dogs with Hans (a scene-stealing Christopher Walken). When they kidnap the beloved dog of a psychopath (Woody Harrelson) very funny and violent things happen. Martin is trying for depth and beauty with his screenplay, while Billy screams for shootouts. Both characters get their wishes.