Shadows on the Wall

Normal

dir Ben Wheatley
scr Derek Kolstad
prd Bob Odenkirk, Derek Kolstad, Marc Provissiero
with Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Reena Jolly, Brendan Fletcher, Jess McLeod, Peter Shinkoda, Alex MacMillan, Dan De Jaeger, John C MacDonald
release US.17.Apr.26,
UK 15..May.26
25/US 1h30

TORONTO FILM FEST

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There's nothing particularly original about this violent shoot-em-up action comedy, as it plays with the usual tropes of the genre. Yes, it's about yet another retired lawman who takes on an army of goons simply to survive. So it's perhaps no surprise that it comes from Derek Kolstad, who wrote John Wick and Nobody. And director Ben Wheatley and star Bob Odenkirk give it plenty of heart too.

In the small town of Normal, Minnesota, Ulysses (Odenkirk) is working as a temp sheriff until a permanent one is elected. Deputy Blaine (Allen) is vying for the job, while Deputy Tim (MacLellan) doesn't think too deeply. Then one fateful night, a desperate couple (Jolly and Fletcher) robs the bank. And they stumble into something connected to the Osaka Yakuza. The mayor (Winkler), a feisty bar owner (Headey) and almost everyone else go on the defensive. So Ulysses teams up with the former sheriff's gloomy daughter Alex (McLeod) to try to make sense of this.

Along with the winter setting and a descending blizzard, wry humour infuses each scene, offering engaging character details long before events begin to go sideways. Even the side roles bristle with personality, creating wonderful textures that continue right into the ensuing bloodbath. All of this is shot and edited with an unhurried attention to detail, resisting the temptation to amp up the action with whizzy camerawork or dazzling choreography, although the sound mix augments every shot and punch.

At the centre, Odenkirk is in everyman hero mode, calmly facing each situation with quick instincts and deadpan banter. He gives Ulysses an underlying kindness that is thoroughly endearing, offering context to his use of both violence and level-headed problem-solving. Because he thinks with an open mind, he befriends everyone he meets, creating some strong bonds along the way. The ensemble of supporting players breathes wonderful life into the surrounding characters, with MacLellan and McLeod as stand-outs. And Winkler and Headey provide terrific spark.

Most enjoyably, quite a few of the key plot turns play out as freaky twists of fate, including the way several situations converge on this single night. Many characters are killed or survive due to dumb luck, and only a few of them elicit a pang of sadness as the story charges right past each death into the next bit of mayhem. For what it is, the film is perfectly entertaining. But it might be time to refresh the formula.

themes, language, violence 15.Apr.26

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