Running Time: 101 Minutes
Certification: 15
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha'la, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino
How far would you go to right an injustice against you? That is a sentence often reserved for a revenge action film, but it appropriately describes Gus Van Sant's first feature since 2018's Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot. It feels surprising that the award-winning director has not released a film in eight-years, but he was drawn to this after reading the script. Dead Man's Wire is inspired by a true story that was previously covered in Dead Man's Line, a 2018 documentary whose directors serve as history consultants for Van Sant's comeback film.
It begins on the morning of February 8th, 1977, when Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) enters the offices of Meridian Mortgage Company for a meeting with wealthy mortgage broker M.L. Hall (Al Pacino). An impromptu vacation in Florida results in the meeting instead being held by the broker's son, Richard (Dacre Montgomery), which leads to a hostage situation when Tony pulls out a shotgun. He wires the weapon from the trigger to Richard's head, ready to fire should anybody interfere, and the pair retreat to Tony's apartment, which he has booby-trapped with explosives.
As Van Sant read the script, which he said included links to the real 911 calls, something which drew him to making this film was Tony. He considered the character to be amazing for how he talked fast, cracked jokes, and lost his temper, something that added to the barnstormer energy. Thankfully, Bill Skarsgård brings all of that alive while imbuing a real humanity into his excellent performance.
It makes for a protagonist reflecting the heart of this story, as Tony's wishes to make something of himself were demolished because of people with more money and greater opportunities than he will ever have. A righteous fury drives this figure alongside an entertaining oafishness, while the circumstances lead him to seemingly get drunk on the attention he receives. It is a fascinating concoction which makes for an understandably compelling protagonist, complete with a looming question about whether his shotgun is actually loaded.
Opposite him is Dacre Montgomery, marvelously bringing alive the terrified hostage. Despite the situation these parallel characters are in, an understanding develops between the pair, memorably coming alive in a scene where they reminisce about their families. The circumstances leave Richard to realise that his father's priorities lie in preserving his reputation, as his refusal to apologise just prolongs the situation. Yet, this may not be enough to help Richard escape the same mistakes that his father makes.
In a supporting role is Colman Domingo, effectively bringing alive the smooth voiced DJ who becomes Tony's confidant. Al Pacino also appears as M.L. Hall, in a performance that can be summed up by the word "sleepwalking." One does wonder if this is an intentional choice to reflect the character's indifference, which is more than can be said about the bizarre accent Pacino uses. It is all part of an admittedly familiar story which takes few risks, yet is a compelling watch that never forgets about the human side to this crime. Dead Man's Wire is an effective work that is hopefully the beginning of Van Sant's return to cinema.
Dead Man's Wire is available in cinemas now
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