Faster is a 2010 American action thriller film directed by George Tillman Jr.[4] The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Carla Gugino, Maggie Grace, Moon Bloodgood, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Tom Berenger. Faster was released on November 24, 2010. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $35 million against a production budget of $24 million.
| Faster | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Tillman Jr. |
| Written by | |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Michael Grady |
| Edited by | Dirk Westervelt |
| Music by | Clint Mansell |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | CBS Films[1] |
Release date |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $24 million[3] |
| Box office | $35.6 million[4] |
Plot
editOn leaving prison Jimmy Cullen retrieves his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, a gun, and a list of names before heading to a telemarketing office in Bakersfield, California and killing a man named Prescott Ashton. He then visits Roy Grone, who gave him the car and gun, and forces him to give him more names. Meanwhile, Cullen is tracked by detectives Cicero and Humphries; a hitman known as “Killer” is also hired to kill Cullen.
Cullen locates the second person on his list, Kenneth Tyson, who films his own personal snuff films. After finding and killing Tyson, Cullen gets into a gunfight with Killer in the hallway, but manages to escape. This affects Killer philosophically, and, after proposing marriage to his girlfriend, Lily, begins to take the task personally. Humphries and Cicero investigate Cullen’s past and discover he was double-crossed during a robbery. Cicero remembers him from a video of his older half-brother Gary's death filmed by Tyson, which depicts an unidentified man shooting Cullen in the head; he narrowly survives, and has a metal plate surgically implanted in his skull.
Cullen visits his former girlfriend, Nan Porterman who knows he is killing those involved from the video of Gary's death. After revealing that she aborted their unborn child and has begun a new life by having a family, she wishes him well. At a strip club in Nevada, Cullen stabs bouncer Hovis Nixon for his role in Gary’s death, but he manages to survive. Soon, both Humphries and Killer get word that Nixon is in the hospital. Knowing Cullen will go back to finish him off, they converge there.
Cullen enters the hospital and kills Nixon while he is in surgery. Humphries attempts to unsuccessfully bring down Cullen, but is spared when the latter sees his badge. While driving away from the hospital, Cullen encounters Killer where they get into a high-speed chase on the freeway, culminating in Killer shooting Cullen in the neck.
Eventually Cullen comes to believe that his father arranged to have him and Gary killed after they refused to share the money they stole in a bank robbery. However, Cullen finds out that his father died years before, and realises that it was Gary’s girlfriend who sold them out. The last man on his list is a traveling evangelist named Alexander Jerrod; after concluding his service, he is confronted by Cullen, but is spared after revealing that he has turned his life around and begging for forgiveness. Cullen is then confronted by Killer.
Cicero eventually learns the true identity of the man who shot Cullen, and she hurries to the church where Humphries is already on the scene. As Killer and Cullen confront each other, Humphries walks in and shoots Cullen in the head, revealing it was he who shot him in the video. He offers Killer the money for the job, but Killer declines, telling Humphries to never contact him again.
Humphries calls his wife, Marina, who is revealed to have been his informant, while she was still Gary's girlfriend. Suddenly, he is shot and killed by Cullen, who survived due to his metal plate. Cicero arrives on the scene after Cullen leaves, and she covers up Humphries’ involvement.
Cullen scatters Gary's ashes in the sea and drives off into the sunset, while Killer returns home to Lily; simultaneously, Jerrod begins a sermon on forgiveness.
Cast
edit- Dwayne Johnson as Jimmy Cullen / Driver, a small-time criminal who avenges his brother's death.
- Billy Bob Thornton as Det. Slade Humphries / Cop, a police detective.
- Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Killer, a hit-man hired to kill Driver.
- Maggie Grace as Lily, Killer's girlfriend, who later on became his wife.
- Moon Bloodgood as Marina Humphries, Gary's ex-girlfriend and Cop's ex-wife.
- Courtney Gains as Prescott Ashton / Telemarketer.
- John Cirigliano as Kenneth Tyson / Old Guy
- Lester Speight as Hovis Nixon / Baphomet.
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Alexander Jarod Evangelist, a former criminal who is now a priest.
- Tom Berenger as Warden.
- Mike Epps as Roy Grone.
- Xander Berkeley as Sergeant Mallory.
- Matt Gerald as Gary Cullen.
- Annie Corley as Mrs Cullen.
- Jennifer Carpenter as Nan Porterman.
- Michael Irby as Vaquero.
- Aedin Mincks as Tommy Humphries.
Production
editVariety reported in May 2009 that Dwayne Johnson was in final negotiations for his role and that Phil Joanou would be directing.[5] That September it was reported that Joanou had dropped out and George Tillman Jr. would direct.[6] Salma Hayek was considered for the role of Cicero, but a week before filming was started she dropped out due to scheduling issues.[7] Hayek was replaced by Carla Gugino.[8] Principal photography began on February 8, 2010, in Los Angeles, California and continued in Pasadena and Santa Clarita in California.[7]
Chevelle
editThe Chevrolet Chevelle driven by "Driver" which is prominently displayed in the movie[9] has the rear of a 1971 or 1972 model, but the front of a 1970 model[9] presumably due to the rarity and value of the 1970 Chevelle SS 454 which the car in the film is presumably portraying (it is never actually specified).[10]
Soundtrack
edit| Faster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2010 | |||
| Genre | Electronic, Rock, Classical, Stage & Screen | |||
| Length | 54:06 | |||
| Label | Lakeshore Records LKS 342022 | |||
| Producer | Clint Mansell, Geoff Foster | |||
| Clint Mansell chronology | ||||
| ||||
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Goodbye My Friend" | Guido & Maurizio De Angelis | 4:03 |
| 2. | "I Wanna Be Your Dog" | Iggy Pop | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" | Kenny Rogers & The First Edition | 3:19 |
| 4. | "Short Change Hero" | The Heavy | 5:21 |
| 5. | "Grifos Muertos" | Jeffrey Luck Lucas | 3:00 |
| 6. | "John The Revelator" | Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje | 0:54 |
| 7. | "Ten Year Stretch" | Clint Mansell | 1:49 |
| 8. | "History Lesson" | Clint Mansell | 3:03 |
| 9. | "Predators & Prey" | Clint Mansell | 7:01 |
| 10. | "Lost lives" | Clint Mansell | 1:53 |
| 11. | "Lovers" | Clint Mansell | 2:51 |
| 12. | "Hospital Visit" | Clint Mansell | 4:34 |
| 13. | "The Driver Drives" | Clint Mansell | 4:27 |
| 14. | "Family Matters" | Clint Mansell | 2:36 |
| 15. | "On A Mission" | Clint Mansell | 3:37 |
| 16. | "Redemption" | Clint Mansell | 1:33 |
| Total length: | 54:06 | ||
Additionally, another song used for the film include "En mi viejo San Juan" (Spanish for, "In my old San Juan") composed by Noel Epinanio Estrada Suárez and sung by Mexican singer and actor, Javier Solís.[12]
Reception
editBox office
editFaster grossed $23.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $12.3 million in other territories, for a workdwide total of $35.6 million.[4]
The film grossed $12.2 million over its five-day Thanksgiving release weekend.
It was released on video on March 1, 2011, and it grossed $17.3 million in DVD and Blu-ray sales in the US.[13]
Critical response
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2014) |
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 41% of 128 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "It's good to see Dwayne Johnson back in full-throttle action mode, but Faster doesn't deliver enough of the high-octane thrills promised by its title."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 44 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[15] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times said, "Rotate the plot, change the period, spruce up the dialogue, and this could have been a hard boiled 1940s noir. But it doesn't pause for fine touches and efficiently delivers action for an audience that likes one-course meals".[16]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Faster (2010)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (23 November 2010). "Faster: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ Fritz, Ben (2010-11-23). "Movie projector: 'Harry Potter' to rule again as four new movies open, three competing for women". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
- ^ a b c "Faster (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-12-29.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (May 6, 2009). "Dwayne Johnson in final talks for 'Faster Paster'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (September 29, 2009). "Tillman in talks to direct 'Faster'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
- ^ a b "Salma Hayek Drops Out Of Rock Actioner". Deadline Hollywood. Mail.com. January 31, 2010. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
- ^ "Carla Gugino Replaces Salma Hayek in Faster". /Film. February 17, 2010. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
- ^ a b Kois, Dan (November 24, 2010). "In 'Faster,' it's a car, not actors, that drives movie". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ Shaw, Kevin (September 8, 2010). "Images Of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Chevelle From "Faster"". Street Muscle Magazine. Power Automedia. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "Amazon.com: Faster (Music from the Motion Picture): Various Artists and Clint Mansell: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Archived from the original on 2016-03-25. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
- ^ "Faster (2010) Soundtrack". WhatSong. November 22, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ "Faster". The Numbers. Retrieved 2015-05-13.
- ^ "Faster". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ^ "Faster". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (November 23, 2010). "Faster :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times Media Group. Archived from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
External links
edit- Official website (archive)
- Faster at IMDb
- Faster at Rotten Tomatoes
- Faster at Metacritic
- Faster at AllMovie
- Faster at Box Office Mojo