Ben Wheatley's Free Fire.

[phantom_power]

He's boring as pigshit in interviews.  Talk of "genius" is hilariously hyperbolic.  He's mostly competent and made a couple of good films, calm down.  He might make something really amazing, but I don't think it's happened yet.

Is there really talk of him being a genius? Citation needed

[BlodwynPig]

I probably won't see this as gun fights and fetishism are not my thing.

I would be happy to hear that it's not just that.

Kill List was so perfect from a subjective point of view as it bypassed the conventional and hinted at an otherness beyond what we saw. A woozy evil circling vulture like over the film. The ending was a release to that but didn't dispel the faint, sickening beat of wings that haunted my waking hours thereafter.

[Sam]

Field In England was such a frustrating film. Moment of greatness, interspersed with aforementioned student film bollocks and some of the worst dialogue I've heard in a film.

[Steven]

Field In England was such a frustrating film. Moment of greatness, interspersed with aforementioned student film bollocks and some of the worst dialogue I've heard in a film.

It was funny when all the medieval cunts took shrooms though, wannit?

[Noodle Lizard]

Is there really talk of him being a genius? Citation needed

From the post above mine:

He's making films too fast.  If the second half of High Rise was actually a sharper, condensed version of Free Fire, I might still think he's a genius.

But it's a term I've seen thrown around about him for quite a while, especially after A Field In England for some reason.

[phantom_power]

I think that is more due to the modern-day need for hyperbole rather than anything specific to Wheatley. Everything has to be either genius or garbage

[Noodle Lizard]

I think that is more due to the modern-day need for hyperbole rather than anything specific to Wheatley. Everything has to be either genius or garbage

Aye true, but I can still point out that it's hyperbolic when it is.  I am allowed to do that, and there is nothing more to discuss about it.

[BlodwynPig]

I think that is more due to the modern-day need for hyperbole rather than anything specific to Wheatley. Everything has to be either genius or garbage

I'm thinking of following up my first feature film ("Minotaur") with a more arty production called "Genius Garbage"

[Noodle Lizard]

I'm thinking of following up my first feature film ("Minotaur") with a more arty production called "Genius Garbage"

You'd have to call it "genius / GARBAGE ?" to get the arty types on board.

The tagline could just be "yeah?"

[clingfilm portent]

Can't believe anyone here rates Ben Wheatley at all, some even saying genius. He's a complete hack.

[BlodwynPig]

I've settled for

geNius/G.A.R.bAGE

- a tale

[phantom_power]

Aye true, but I can still point out that it's hyperbolic when it is.  I am allowed to do that, and there is nothing more to discuss about it.

Fuck you, cretin!

[Sam]

The hammer scene from Kill List is probably the nastiest bit of violence I've ever seen on film. Not sure if that's good or bad.

[Pissant]

Those first four films though, in as many years, with the prospect of a multi-million pound production of a dystopian Ballard novel in the pipeline?  Those were heady times, we all thought the boy would pull it off.

Terrace - hmm, interesting
Kill List - wow, highly entertaining
Sightseers - i did not expect to enjoy that
Field in England - haha, always wondered what that movie would look like if somebody actually made it, so what if it's dramatically disappointing, takes risks etc.

Cut to one hour into High-Rise (or 'the tower of chaos') and then yes, I probably would still have sworn on the holy bible that the Wheatley was some kind of genius.  Fresh modern perspective, keen eye for dark humour, never insults the viewers intelligence.  Maybe not 'an actual genius'... yet, but certainly on his way to one day making a film that could be said to have been 'created by a genius'.  That first hour of HR is golden.

[BlodwynPig]

I've taken my wife to see two films. Duke of Burgundy and High Rise.

Two big mistakes. Never allowed back to cinema.

[Shit Good Nose]

I've settled for

geNius/G.A.R.bAGE

- a tale

When can we expect Mino2r?

[BlodwynPig]

When can we expect Mino2r?

2018, dependent on release data for the first instalment. (Fucked the opening credits didn't I - fucking Hulk Hogan Gremlins 4th wall call back was not a good idea).

[Shit Good Nose]

2018, dependent on release data for the first instalment. (Fucked the opening credits didn't I - fucking Hulk Hogan Gremlins 4th wall call back was not a good idea).

As long as you leave in the Brucie cameo.

[Glebe]

Add Tom Hiddleston To Ben Wheatley & Warner Bros Circling Frank Miller & Geof Darrow's 'Hard Boiled' – Update.

Have to admit I've never read the comic.

[ASFTSN]

Have to admit I've never read the comic.

It's completely fantastic and doesn't need to be Hiddleston'd.

[zomgmouse]

Since there's been a resurrection of this thread in the form of a second thread I thought I'd bump it up seeing as I have seen this film. It was a lot of fun. It's basically a feature-length shootout after an arms deal goes wrong. All shot in one location. It's very 70s-stylised but it's totally ridiculous. Just very silly gun (and other) violence. It's also very much not just an action film but an action comedy. Lots of funny moments. Overall I wouldn't call this a "great" film but it's certainly fun to watch. The camerawork is pretty astonishing at times, too.

For the record, I love Kill List and A Field in England, Sightseers is really good, Down Terrace is quite good, High-Rise was a mess but I liked it. Apart from Down Terrace I've seen every one of his films in a cinema and I hope to continue that.

[Puce Moment]

I saw this tonight and thought it was a fucking hoot. Brilliant fun. I have to say, I was slightly unsure going in, but it exceeded my expectations. Sharlto Copley and Sam Riley are wonderful.

[Shit Good Nose]

Since there's been a resurrection of this thread in the form of a second thread I thought I'd bump it up seeing as I have seen this film. It was a lot of fun. It's basically a feature-length shootout after an arms deal goes wrong. All shot in one location. It's very 70s-stylised but it's totally ridiculous. Just very silly gun (and other) violence. It's also very much not just an action film but an action comedy. Lots of funny moments. Overall I wouldn't call this a "great" film but it's certainly fun to watch. The camerawork is pretty astonishing at times, too.

Similar to Shoot Em Up?

[acrow]

i saw this a while back when wheatley was touring it round thecountry and did really enjoy it butafter a while the fairly constant gunfire became slightly ridiculous. some funny bits and that.

[glitch]

a UK-based director who makes films that don't feature gangsters

If you ignore his first one.

And this one.

[phantom_power]

And Kill List, possibly

[Pissant]

But apart from those three, and maybe ABC of death, not a single gangster to feature in any of his remaining three films. 

[zomgmouse]

Similar to Shoot Em Up?

I haven't seen that, though I've been meaning to for a while, so I can't make an accurate comparison unfortunately.

[KennyMonster]

My wife saw it at the London Film Festival and she said it was very disappoiting, just lots of shooting and couldn't tell exactly what was going on most of the time.

She much preferred High Rise.

I liked High Rise and Sightseers and didn't like Wheatly's other films (haven't seen Free Fire though).

Most people on here seemed to not like High Rise.

make of that what you will I guess.

[Puce Moment]

I will be surprised if Free Fire comes away from a critical mauling. The film is supported by two struts that are quite fragile: the exhilaration of the action set-ups and the shooting, and the humour and quippiness.

If neither work for you it really will fail. I thought that both worked just well enough to make it extremely enjoyable but I do feel that the jumpiness of the extremely fucking loud gunshots will make this a very TV-unfriendly film.