Dead Man's Wire
There are shades of 70s classic Dog Day Afternoon in this excellently constructed nail-biter from Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant’s latest is a slick crime thriller throwback set in the 1970s and clearly paying homage to the cinema of that decade – most notably Dog Day Afternoon, including the casting of Al Pacino as M. L. Hall, the predatory mortgage broker who finds his son Dick (Dacre Montgomery) at the centre of a legendary Indianapolis hostage crisis. This standoff is led by Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård), whose family might lose everything due to what he perceives as an underhanded deal crafted by the Halls. Hoping to meet the father, but stuck with the son, Tony wires a shotgun around Dick’s neck with the barrel pointing at his head and set to go off at the slightest unexpected movement.
This is an excellently constructed picture that walks the line between pleasingly retro and cleverly relevant. Based on a true story, it eschews showmanship and exploitation in favour of an understated, taut nail-biter. Mainly set in office buildings and Tony’s apartment, colours are muted and shadowy, and flaring tempers enhance the claustrophobia.
This does not always pay off. When local radio DJ Fred Temple (Colman Domingo) ends up with a surprise supporting role in the proceedings, his easy charisma and colourful turns of phrase elevate the film with an irreverent, outlaw energy. But in other scenes, Van Sant seems uninterested in re-canonising Tony Kiritsis as a folk hero. Skarsgård’s performance is grounded and captivating, however. He's an everyman making what he sees as the only reasonable choice – and perhaps, ultimately, we agree.
Dead Man's Wire receives its Scottish premiere on 3 Mar as part of Glasgow Film Festival, and is released across the UK 20 Mar by Vertigo; certificate 15