It has been 23 years since George Clooney And Brad Pitt first teamed up to pull off a heist, forming one of the most indelible film couples of the new century. They made three Ocean movies together, share screen for a short time Burn after readingand then each went their separate ways.
But they can’t be apart forever. So Wolfa new crime comedy that premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday. Written and directed by Jon Watts—who made the last three Spider-Man movies and more importantly smart low budget horror movies Police car—the film is a lighthearted romp, more like a stroll than a sprint through wintery, nighttime New York City. As a pair of rival underworld fixers, Clooney and Pitt invert Ocean They are strangers to each other, and initially have the kind of playful hostility that is common in comedies like this; we never expect them to start shooting at each other.
They meet in a luxury hotel room after both are called in for the same job: a panicked woman (Amy Ryan) is standing over the body of a nearly naked young man lying on the bedroom floor. She needs to be cleaned up and discreetly let out. It’s a fun, lively scene that sets the stage for a film where people can get hurt, but nothing can happen. also dark. What’s the right tone for the Clooney/Pitt combination; they always work best when they’re not too serious.
Both men, unnamed throughout the film, want to be in charge, something that’s become a bit stale in all its repetition but is still sold by the aura of the leading man. Either way, they soon bond in a familiar Hollywood plot twist: a troubled kid suddenly falls into their care. He’s the one found dead on the floor, a seemingly innocent man who’s found himself caught up in a citywide drug war. He explains this mostly in a stuttering, rapid-fire monologue delivered with verve by Austin Abramswho can hold his own against two of the biggest movie stars on the planet. The presence of the child complicates the relationship between the two fixers, and creates a surprising, dark suspense: to make the escape completely clean, the child may have to go.
But first, the trio must go on a little mission, a little adventure through different corners of the city. This, it must be said, is part of the film’s fourth main character. Watts is a local, and he films his town with affection and fresh perspective. He finds a lot of interesting locations—a suburban banquet hall, a dreary Brighton beachfront promenade, a neon-lit Chinatown—and shoots them lushly. Snow falls gently and steadily throughout the film, creating a sense of peace and quiet to offset the boisterous antics. A testament to the special grace of location shooting, Wolf brings a New York that is both recognizable and new.
The script could use a little more of that quirky personality. While there are plenty of witty one-liners and jokes, some of Pitt and Clooney’s responses seem like recycled material from Ocean-verse, a kind of back-and-forth repetition that confuses pace with wit. There are also a few narrative devices that highlight an otherwise clever, polished piece—one of which involves the aforementioned banquet hall and Croatian wedding dance. Perhaps Watts is fondly recalling the broad comedies of his youth, but Wolf otherwise too great for such a cliché.
However, for the most part, Wolf It delivers. It’s a confident, engaging Saturday night movie, the kind that’s become frighteningly rare. It’s refreshing to see a director step back from the superhero world (where he’s been responsible for some of the better entries) and make a more modest, sensible film for adults. All he has to do is bring in two global superstars to get the project over the funding line.
It’s unfortunate that Apple has canceled the movie’s theatrical release as originally planned. Wolf It’s the kind of movie that gets people out of the house, a satisfying addition to dinner and drinks. It’s not trying to make any grand statements or reinvent any wheels; it’s just trying to entertain. That used to be a good enough reason to get off the couch. If Wolf is playing in a theater near you, consider investing. Tell the powers that be in Hollywood that you’re willing to help them fix the terrible mess they’ve made.
