‘Wolfs’ is a breezy delight due to effortless Clooney and Pitt chemistry
The 'Oceans' duo charm Jon Watts' latest, a crime caper about two fixers.
“I work alone” wasn’t born in the movies, but the phrase does fit the land of make-believe like a tailored leather glove.
For a pair of veteran fixers (George Clooney and Brad Pitt), aka bagman who take the problems of rich people and make them disappear, that saying is a proud motto that gets put to the absolute test on a cold, crazy night in New York. When Margaret (Amy Ryan), a hard-hitting district attorney, finds herself in the penthouse suite with a dead body, she makes the call.
Jon Watts sure knew what he was doing when he made the call to the two leads. The writer/director was obviously one of the millions who saw and loved Ocean’s Eleven, but he also saw something else: they know how to share the screen and still allow their star beacon to shine. Clooney and Pitt are savvy movie studs who know how to share a room and not drain all the oxygen, unlike The Rock and Vin Diesel. The former can roast each other and create raw comedy out of simple dialogue exchanges, because they know how to entertain.
Their effortless chemistry is the engine that powers Wolfs, an Apple TV Plus Original getting a week getaway at the movie theater resort. They know how to squeeze all the juice out of a role that doesn’t even carry a real name. Wolfs is a mixtape on *possibly* Harvey Keitel’s character from Pulp Fiction, and the fact that unlike wolves, these two don’t particularly care to play together. “Buddies” they are not, but teammates they shall be on this one night.
Margaret calls Clooney, and the beginning of Michael Clayton greatest hits starts to play out. A man talks to her in a phone booth at a bar, giving her simple yet vital instructions, including when to make herself a drink. He shows up, accesses the situation, and begins to work when there’s a knock at the door. Pitt’s fixer, under the instruction of the hotel’s powerful owner, is here to help. Remember, these people like to work alone. Too bad, fellas.
Austin Abrams is the body aka “the kid” as I.M.D.B. labels him, who may or may not be dead. Don’t be too shocked, especially if you’ve seen a TV spot or trailer. There’s also a drug cartel connection that complicates the situation, and a pretty good car chase and unexpected gunfight in a very cold parking lot. Watts surprises you with how easy he can transition from a wordy, gritty comedy to an action thriller, even if it’s just for the span of a commercial break. Still, it’s enough to wake up the viewers who need a jolt, and it sets up more hilarious interactions between the leads.
Half of the time, Clooney and Pitt can pull a chuckle out of a sound or gesture, something to spit back at the other while another chirp comes together. You’d be hard pressed to find a better-working duo in Hollywood at the moment. Think of a situation where Danny Ocean merged with Clayton and rant into Rusty Ryan and Mr. Smith. Tweaks and quirks combined, they can play around in any cinematic playground: a glitzy casino heist, a dour Coen Brothers flick, or a smooth operator like Watts’ Wolfs. For both actors, it’s their best role and performance in years.
It’s a perfect summer-to-fall transition movie, not a piece of work that sings Oscars yet will make a perfect Thanksgiving watch for the families who aren’t in the mood for depression drama or too light of a kids film. Wolfs also makes you really crave, if you’re a winter baby like myself, the delicious-looking atmosphere of the cold and some light snow. The soundtrack makes you wonder where its setting truly is, while the screenplay never gives you too much intel.
The truth is the plot or story isn’t as concerned with who or why, as much as it is putting together an odd couple and seeing how they interact. The writing gems here exist in the little things, like the two each having a bad back or getting tired early. The old jokes are polished and used well, again due to the sly performers. A viewer will spend most of the movie wondering if they’re separated brothers or just two high-class janitors who found themselves on the same playing field. It’s not to the final scene where the third act’s plot gets a nice knot tied around it.
Credit to Ryan for getting all the mileage out of a small role. She’s simply a pro’s pro.
From a drug-addicted mother to a suit trying to disguise a bad-intentioned night, she fits into any arena like her co-stars. They’re veteran actors who know what movie they’re in and what the goal is, which is entertainment.
If more movies understood the assignment, we’d have more very good movies. Wolfs is very good, and will play in St. Louis theaters for at least a week before hitting Apple TV Plus this coming Friday. It’s not a movie that MUST be seen in a theater, but it did remind me of the star-driven films I watched with my dad growing up.