Fast Charlie is a 2023 American action thriller film directed by Phillip Noyce and written by Richard Wenk, based on the 2001 novel Gun Monkeys by Victor Gischler. It stars Pierce Brosnan, James Caan and Morena Baccarin.
| Fast Charlie | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Phillip Noyce |
| Screenplay by | Richard Wenk |
| Based on | Gun Monkeys by Victor Gischler |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Warwick Thornton |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Fil Eisler |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Vertical Entertainment[1] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 90 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $16 million[3] |
It premiered at the 2023 Mill Valley Film Festival on October 7, 2023. The film was released in select theatres and video on demand on December 8, 2023.[1]
Premise
editFor twenty years, Charlie Swift has been a fixer and hitman for a mob boss named Stan. After a rival boss puts a hit on Stan and his crew, Charlie is the sole survivor. Charlie decides to avenge his friend and teams up with Marcie, the ex-wife of a mobster he killed.
Cast
edit- Pierce Brosnan as Charlie Swift
- Morena Baccarin as Marcie Kramer
- James Caan as Stan Mullen
- Gbenga Akinnagbe as Beggar
- Christopher Matthew Cook as Lloyd "The Freak" Mercury
- David Chattam as Milt
- Toby Huss as Benny
- Fredric Lehne as Sal
- Sharon Gless as Mavis
- Brennan Keel Cook as Blade
- Susan Gallagher as Celine
- Lindsey G. Smith as Giselle
- David Kallaway as Ronnie
- Stephen Louis Grush as Goat
- Jared Bankens as Stone Cold
- Jacob Grodnik as Paulie
Production
editIn June 2009, Victor Gischler's 2001 novel Gun Monkeys was optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura set to direct.[4] In 2018, producer Dan Grodnik discovered the project, acquired the underlying rights and brought in Phillip Noyce to direct (Noyce had directed Blind Fury starring Rutger Hauer for him in 1989).
Both Kevin Costner and Bryan Cranston expressed interest in starring, but the film didn't come together until Pierce Brosnan signed on.[5] In March 2022, James Caan and Morena Baccarin joined the cast.[6]
Filming began in April 2022 in New Orleans.[citation needed]
Fast Charlie was the last film to star Caan, who died on July 6, 2022.[7] In the same month, Brosnan posted photos of Caan on the film's set.[8]
Release
editThe film premiered at the 2023 Mill Valley Film Festival on October 7, 2023, while the film was released in select theatres and video on demand on December 8, 2023, by Vertical Entertainment.[9]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of 31 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Thanks largely to Pierce Brosnan's charming work in the title role, Fast Charlie is a slickly watchable thriller that engages despite its standard story."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
References
edit- ^ a b Grobar, Matt (October 6, 2023). "James Caan's Final Movie 'Fast Charlie' Sets U.S. Release With Vertical; Pierce Brosnan & Morena Baccarin Lead Ensemble". Deadline. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ "Fast Charlie (15)". BBFC. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Fastlane NextGen: Initial Certification Search" (Type "Fast Charlie" in the search box). Louisiana Economic Development. April 20, 2022. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ "Lee Goldberg Adapts Gun Monkeys". Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (October 28, 2021). "Pierce Brosnan To Star In Phillip Noyce's Hitman Thriller Fast Charlie — AFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (March 31, 2022). "James Caan & Deadpool Star Morena Baccarin Join Pierce Brosnan In Philip Noyce's Fast Charlie, Filming Begins Next Week In New Orleans". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
- ^ Tapp, Tom; Grobar, Matt (July 20, 2022). "Lawsuit Filed Over James Caan's Final Film, Fast Charlie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ Juneau, Jen (July 8, 2022). "Pierce Brosnan Shares Photos of James Caan from Set of Late Actor's Final Film: 'You Were an Inspiration'". People. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Fast Charlie Trailer: Pierce Brosnan Leads Action Thriller". Yahoo Entertainment. November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ "Fast Charlie". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
External links
edit- Fast Charlie at IMDb
