Seven Psychopaths opens with two hitmen on a bridge waiting for action. These two are not among the seven titular villains. Villains isn’t the right word … just psychopaths. A psychopath doesn’t have to be a villain, right? The two non-psychopaths argue about guys getting shot in the eye. And the camera finds a masked woman approaching behind them. As she nears, she produces a pair of firearms and eliminates both men in the same turn; then, the screen announces “Psychopath #1” and the scene ends. Quick, check for Quentin Tarantino in the credits! Nothing? Really? Well, somebody’s a fan. That’s clear.
The title refers not necessarily to the players, but to the screenplay Marty (Colin Farrell) is writing. When Marty encounters writer’s block, friend Billy (Sam Rockwell) plants an ad for psychopaths to visit and tell their stories to Marty. Not sure you can do anything with that moment but laugh. Meanwhile, Billy and Hans (Christopher Walken) pay the bills by dognapping. There’s a movies-only profession, huh? Superhero, contract dream implanter, fighting robot manager, professional dognapper: movie professions all. 
Problem is they stole the dog from the wrong guy. Psychopath #3 Charlie (Woody Harrelson) is pissed; and that guy is a serious psychopath.
Funny how there are levels to psychotic. Never really thought about that. I imagine it’s like genius; there are probably many more ways to behave like a psychopath than there aren’t.
In retrospect, the Tarantino style kinda works and kinda doesn’t. Writer/director Martin McDonagh has a good feel for black humor and a punchline, like the character (Tom Waits) who refuses to eliminate the Zodiac killer because of bunnies, but it feels like he’s making fun of his own desperate attempt to find unity in his film. The players spend a few scenes talking about how the movie is going to end. Then they reach conclusions. How can this have any effect but detraction from a sincere conclusion? It’s like saying, “I’m going to end this review with the word ‘aggressive’.” Then I can talk about how that particular word will make the review work. Will it describe the cycle of violence in Seven Psychopaths? Will it imply that no matter what the words say, the film still gives us several brutal and bloody images? Or is it a way to unify the hitmen opening of the review/film with the showdown at the end of the film?
Or maybe I don’t respect Seven Psychopaths enough not to give away the ending. Maybe I’m just passive aggressive.
Seven little psychopaths hanging on a screen/Tell their quirky tales to show you what they’ve seen
One creepy Quaker following a guy for kicks/he cut his own throat, and then there were six
One Vietnamese farmer barely alive/he lit himself on fire, and then there were five
One bunny-loving cutthroat out for some more/he refused on Zodiac, and then there were four
One cruel mistress on a bloody spree/she left her hubby, and then there were three
One gun-totin’ cowboy walkin’ his Shih tzu/his dog was abducted, and then there were –
Wait a minute.
He doesn’t really leave or anything. In fact none of these folks really ceases being part of the movie. Rats. Poetry is hard.
Rated R, 110 Minutes
D: Martin McDonagh
W: Martin McDonagh
Genre: Tarantinomania
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: The Quentin Tarantino starved
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Really? With a title of “Seven Psychopaths” and an R rating? Really?
