**** outta *****

4 outta 5

Gringo is a weird and wild movie that may have a bit too many moving parts and not entirely come together neatly.  There is a least one subplot that seems to be shoehorned in from a different movie, and a tangle of characters, and a whole lot of big acting for laughs.  While it may be straining a bit, the movie is enjoyably nuts and nihilistic.   And they have some very serious actors acting in broad, comedic ways which is interesting.  It’s an ensemble, dark, R-rated comedy which is fun because there aren’t many of these types of films made anymore.

Harold (David Oyelowo) is stuck working for his friend, Rusk (Joel Edgerton).   Rusk and his compatriot, Elaine (Charlize Theron), are trying to market a special marijuana pill that they manufacture in Mexico so all three go down to check in on the operation, unaware that to keep the operation running the local manager has to pay off the drug cartel.   While Harold’s life unravelling at home with an unfaithful wife, Bonnie (Thandie Newton), Harold hatches a plan to get paid by faking a kidnapping by the cartel.  Soon Harold gets intertwined with two drug mules, Sunny (Amanda Seyfried) and Miles (Harry Treadaway) and his fake scheme may turn all to real.  Rusk sends his mercenary brother, Mitch (Sharlto Copley), to clean up the situation, possibly permanently.

This could be qualified as an action comedy but really there isn’t much action at all in the film aside from a few well staged frantic car chases and a short climatic shoot out.  But it’s a tad weird considering it’s directed by Nash Edgerton, brother of Joel, and Edgerton has a long history for stunt work in movies so it would be assumed he would throw a bit more action-y pep into this film.  But this is more of a dark, character based dialogue comedy, however there are a few moments where things get heavy and it works.  Sometimes the tonal gearshifts may be a bit hard, Coopley’s character seems almost beamed in from a different film and Theron is on a side plot that barely has much to do with the main kidnapping plot.  But they’re all really well done even though the twists as to who is trying to kidnap or kill or extort who that eventually it’s pointless to try to keep it all straight.

The cast is a huge chunk of actors who are mostly known for serious dramatic stuff, Oyelowo played Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma fer crissakes, so it’s really subversive to see them be loud caricatures.  Oyelowo is great as a straight man who decides to get a piece of the action after life has been stepping on him.  Even when he’s hollering loudly, he commits to it with gusto so it becomes funny.   There’s a darkly amusing and emotionally affecting scene when his wife tries to tell him she’s been unfaithful by going on a long, tortured analogy that he reacts to with confusion.   There really aren’t a lot of people to root for in this film, Netwon as the wife is more of a plot point than an actual character, so Harold is the relatable everyman.  

Theron as one of his bosses seems to be in more of a comedy drama about an ambitious woman trying to climb the corporate ladder.   Probably the best scene she has is when Harold calls in about being kidnapped and she just seems aggravated by the whole thing.  While Theron is somewhat sympathetic, Joel Edgerton as the big boss is completely unlikable yet funny because he’s so dismissive of other people that it gets a laugh.  

The sub-plot about the two drug mules isn’t really important and there’s a bit of unnecessary relationship drama but Seyfried plays the only person who seems to actually care about Harold’s plight.  Her boyfriend is just a dope so it is hard to be invested about what happens to him.  Coopley as the merc is an interestingly weird character, he used to kill people for money but now he’s spending his days doing disaster relief in Haiti.  He’s trying to stay on a righteous path but his killer instincts get in the way.   What’s darkly funny is he justifies killing so he can use the cash to buy relief funds, which is a really weird gag but it makes sense.  Even Coopley’s look of frazzled hair and beady eyes is strangely hilarious.  

Violence in the film is brief but has impact.  Even though the cliché of the chatty bad guy who bumps off henchmen is played out, it is done effectively here.  The cartel leader has a funny running gag where he’s obsessed with the notion that “Sergeant Pepper” is not the best Beatles album which he randomly quizzes folks about. 

Gringo is a bit of a kitchen sink ensemble comedy that tosses in all of these characters and has people holler a lot.  But it does get dark yuks and it is different from many other movies out right now.   This is loud and maybe a bit too frantic for its own good but is enjoyable if one can get into its distinct vibe.