fireproof frontFree fire“. Even while filming major festivals like Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained”, Sam Peckinpah’s western classic “The Wild Bunch” or the “John Wick” hits, only a fraction of the blank cartridges were used in “High-Rise” – Director Ben Wheatley’s movie was used. Then the movie basically consists of a single XXL shootout.
In our 4-star FILMSTARTS review, we call ‘Free Fire’ a ‘brutal and above all dirty affair’, an ‘absolutely twisted gangster thriller’ and a ‘bitter tour de force full of black humour, in which the boundaries of the politically correct are repeatedly crossed with taste”. We also praise the whimsical, original characters and the quotable one-liners they pull off in the brief lulls of the constant shelling.
“Free Fire” will be broadcast today, January 19, 2023 at 10:05 PM on Servus TV. That same evening there is a repeat at 2:25. If these dates don’t suit you or if you prefer to watch the fun ad-free, you can purchase the FSK 16 title on Blu-ray or DVD from online retailers such as Amazon. Optionally, it is also available there (for a fee) for streaming.
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This is the story of “Free Fire” on Servus TV
The year is 1978: Anyone looking to buy or sell large quantities of illegal guns on the US East Coast usually turns to Justine (Brie Larson). Specializing in all things banging, she routinely brings together criminal dealers and their no less shady clientele as a go-between.
Today, in an abandoned warehouse just outside Boston, a particularly big deal is about to happen. Ord (Armie Hammer) and Vernon (Sharlto Copley) try to sell their hot goods to IRA terrorists Chris (Cillian Murphy), Stevo (Sam Riley) and Frank (Michael Smiley). With a lot of money at stake, the atmosphere of the meeting is more than tense.
At first everything seems to be going smoothly, but soon a stupid misunderstanding arises. Suddenly, both sides think the other is trying to rip them off. It isn’t long before one of the men loses his nerve and opens fire. This is the beginning of a firefight of epic proportions, in which the weapons, which have just been crated as trade goods, are extensively tested for their practicality…
“Free Fire” has tons of stars
Since the entire 90 minutes of the action take place in just one building, “Free Fire” can certainly be described as a chamber game. Where director Wheatley and his main cameraman Laurie Rose (“Freaky”) make the most of the location – the film was shot in a former printing house near the English city of Brighton – by bringing a lot of dynamism and variety to the settings.
Incidentally, the filmmaker and his co-writer Amy Jump (who also shared editing with Wheatley) were inspired to write the script by a true incident report from the Miami Police Department. This recorded what appeared to be an unusually lengthy firefight between various criminal groups that spiraled completely out of control. The finished script subsequently also captivated film legend Martin Scorsese (“GoodFellas”, “Taxi Driver”), who as executive producer helped finance the project and gave extra attention with his name during the 2017 theatrical release.
An important factor in the success of “Free Fire” were of course the actors, who went about their business with visible pleasure and commitment, including a number of well-known names. The only female in the cast and the main point of contact for the audience was played by Captain Marvel titular Brie Larson. At her side let go of ‘Inception’ and ‘Batman Begins’ star Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer (“Call Me By Your Name”) and the always entertaining Sharlto Copley (“District 9″). Also in attendance were Sam Riley from Disney’s Maleficent 1+2, Jack Reynor from Midsommar, Michael Smiley from Luther, Noah Taylor from Peaky Blinders and Babou Ceesay from Rogue One: A Star war story”).
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