Faster

Plot synopsis:
The film begins with Driver (Dwayne Johnson) being released from prison after talking to the warden (Tom Berenger) who tells him he should be a better person. He exits curtly, breaks into a run, seemingly set on something. He runs until he retrieves his Chevelle LS5 SS recreation (1970 Chevelle front and 1971 Chevelle rear end) drives to an office in Bakersfield where he kills a man (Courtney Gains).Driver then goes to the man (Mike Epps) who gave him the car and the gun and forces him to give him the names and info for the rest of some list he compiled for Driver. Meanwhile, Driver is being tracked down by detective Cicero (Carla Gugino) and Cop (Billy Bob Thornton), a retiring cop whose life is off track and suffering from a drug habit. They investigate the office crime scene and video from the scene. Cicero gets a break in the case when she recognizes Driver. Later, a nameless hitman 'Killer' (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is hired to kill Driver. Killer tells his girlfriend Lily (Maggie Grace) that it is his last job, and while he seems to feel the conflict between his professional life and love life with Lily, he decides to go.Driver heads to the second name on his list. It is an old man who films his own personal snuff films, and he is in the middle of filming himself taking advantage of a girl he drugged when Driver busts in the door and shoots him dead. Killer has tracked down Driver and initiates a gun fight in the hallway, but Driver escapes. This affects Killer philosophically, who proposes to his girlfriend and takes the case personally.It is revealed that Cop has a drug problem, along with his girlfriend Marina (Moon Bloodgood). Cop and Detective are investigating Driver's past and discover he was double crossed. Cicero remembered Driver from a video of his brother's death, filmed by the man Driver has just killed. On tape, Driver is shot in the head by an unidentified man, but narrowly survives, needing surgery and a metal plate to fix his skull.Driver goes to his old girlfriend's (Jennifer Carpenter) house. She knows he's killing the people in the video and tells him she hopes he succeeds. Driver then goes to Nevada to kill the man who slit his brother's throat. He works as a bouncer in a strip club, and due to security, Driver could not bring his gun inside, so instead he stabs him several times with an ice pick and leaves him to die in the bathroom. Meanwhile, both Cop and Killer have gotten word that the man survived the stabbing and is in the hospital. Knowing Driver will go back to finish him off, they converge on the place.Driver enters the hospital and kills the man while he is in surgery. Cop attempts to bring down Driver but is unsuccessful, however Driver spares his life after seeing his badge. While driving away from the hospital, Driver encounters Killer. After a high speed chase on the highway, Killer manages to shoot Driver in the neck after Driver shoots out his tires.Driver goes to the second-to-last name on the list, who turns out to be his father. He believed that his father was the one who arranged to have him and his brother killed, after they refused to give him a share of the money they stole in a bank job they pulled together. He finds out that his father died years before, and his mother stitches the gunshot wound on his neck before he sets off to finish the list. It is later revealed that his mother had an affair with another man who was apparently of a different ethnic background and that the old man abused Driver because of it. The last man is a traveling evangelist, and after his service is over and everyone has left, Driver confronts him. The evangelist knows why he is there, and tries to tell him that he has turned his life around, begging for forgiveness. Driver spares him and goes to leave when he is confronted by Killer.Detective Cicero learns the true identity of the man who shot Driver. She hurries to the church with Cop already on the scene. Killer tells Driver to pick up his gun so they can have a true test of skill. But Driver declines, saying he has no fight with him. Killer then explains he wanted to be better since he could not walk when he was a child.Cop walks in and shoots Driver in the head. It is revealed that Cop was the man who shot Driver in the video. He gives Killer the money for the job, but he declines, because he wasn't the one who killed him. Killer then departs, telling Cop never to contact him again, likely signifying the end of his career as an assassin. Killer calls his wife, telling her that he is coming home. Cop calls his girlfriend, telling her that they will be okay because he closed the case and how he has been reading up on women. It is revealed in pieces that the girl we thought was Drivers but was actually Gary's and a C.I for the Cop, and let the info slip about the bank job and the cop then put together the crew to take out Gary and Driver. Suddenly, he is shot by Driver, who survived the shot due to the metal plate in his skull.Detective Cicero arrives on the scene after Driver has already left and finds Cop's body who promptly decides to cover up Cop's involvement in the whole mess presumably to allow his family to receive his benefits and retain some sort of dignity. The movie ends with Driver scattering his brother's ashes in the sea and driving off into the sunset as the avenging spirit of his brother Gary.

Tags: revenge, neo noir, murder, violence, flashback

Review:
Oliver Jackson-Cohen as the hit-man also played a decent role and I really liked the addition to his role of being "challenged." Maybe I'm not expressing myself very well, but what I think I'm trying to say is that Faster didn't feel corny in any scenes.
It's solid action that's believable and although it does have some drama in it, it's woven in quite well, but in any case, the action overpowers any other element the movie may have to offer.Throughout the movie I was actually gripped with tension and it also has a good twist at the end, though the smarter movie goer would probably pick it up early on.I really can't say anything bad about this film besides the fact it's just an action movie, and that's not a negative because that's what it set out to be and that's what it is.
No academy performances, no sensational script (but much better than other actions movies because like I said no corny scenes, all plausible), no dodgy romance scenes.By the way, without giving too much of a spoiler, I also really enjoyed the fact how Faster developed a scenario where I expected at least one character's life to turned to ruins, but instead, an unexpected but easily believable resolution was found.
By the way, this movie no where near deserves a 6.7 rating on IMDb. I know action titles aren't given too much credit, but Faster deserves to be at least 7, probably about 7.2..
A strung-out cop out for redemption (Billy Bob Thornton), a neurotic hit-man and various unsavory people.I thought this was nice nod to 70s style vengeance driven movies and somewhat reminiscent of Richard Stark/Donald Westlake's PARKER character (seen, in its most recent incarnation in PAYBACK, starring MEL Gibson: one man seeking revenge against fellow criminals).
Loved how Dwayne Johnson finally decided to get back to his action roles after the lame kid movies he had starred in lately.
Nothing flashy just melancholy sounding from beginning to end.The action scenes were quite good since Dwaynes character (The Driver) just oozed of cold blooded anger and hatred.
The other characters were entertaining as well, The Killer and The Cop. Each had their own story going on until they get intertwined with each other as the movie progresses.Overall I loved the movie and I feel anyone who is wanting to check out a action flick this weekend should definitely check this movie out.
The plot isn't very complex, but the pacing is beautiful, as is the purity of this amazing movie.Billy Bob Thornton does a great job too as The Cop, a lowlife drug addicted, slimy little lawman with 9 days to go before retirement and one last case to solve.
And Oliver Jackson-Cohen is terrific as a yuppie hit-man with a personal score to settle.If you like movies that are intent simply in kicking your ass for 90 minutes, you could do a lot worse than Faster.
(Synopsis) After serving 10 years in prison for bank robbery, Driver (Dwayne Johnson) has only one mission in life, to avenge the murder of his older brother who was killed when they were double-crossed after the heist.
However, two people are in the hunt to stop him, veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) only days from retiring, and a young hit man (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), both on Driver's trail.
If the true essence of great story-telling and myth is that it takes us on a journey that is on the surface almost simplistic, but leaves the audience more by the end; then Faster succeeds and succeeds way beyond expectations.In side-stepping the current vogue for mindless action it does hark back to the 70s - and the look and feel are very true to those roots.
And if this sounds like raving, then it is because it deserves it: brilliant writing and stone-hard action combine to give the audience an experience to remember.This is a film that needed a star to really work, and in Dwayne Johnson it has found one.
I was pleasantly surprised with this film and would recommend to anyone looking for a good action/drama.Acting/Casting: 7* - The Rock doesn't say much in this movie, which is a good thing.
Driver (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) has just completed a dime in the slammer and is looking for revenge against those who not only put him there, but also killed his brother.
With a hit list in hand he driver through the desert of Nevada in search of his targets while also being pursued by a contract killer (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton).The Rock isn't as strong an actor as he is built.
Overall, very strong pacing with some well incorporated flashbacks and slow motion.The lack of a classical showdown really hurts Faster, which otherwise measures up as one of the best action/revenge films of recent years.
After a bank robbery, Dwayne Johnson's character, "Driver", loses his brother in gang like activity, so he seeks his revenge on all those responsible, for his brothers death.
In his way is Billy Bob Thorton, a cop looking to put Driver down.I love that in the movie there are really no full names, Dwayne's character, is named only Driver.
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning A former bank robber (Dwayne Johnson) is released after serving a lengthy prison sentence, with only one thing on his mind- cold, brutal revenge on all those who were involved in his brother's murder all those years ago.
It is a cold, brutal story of a man on a mission of honour and sworn vengeance that he can't switch off, and it plays out in this hard, unforgiving way, before the power of redemption and forgiveness dawn on him and he is forced to search his own soul and make sacrifices of himself before he crosses the line and loses any sense of moral authority.While the end impression doesn't leave the powerful impact it quite could have, this is an undeniably ambitious and surprising action thriller that delivers a lot more than it promises.
Although the story is handled seriously enough, I had an "MST3K" moment when another cop played by Carla Gugino asks "Haven't I seen this guy before?" when looking at Johnson's surveillance tape and I replied back to the screen "Yeah, in Race to Witch Mountain!" (I have to admit here that I actually said "Escape" before my friend corrected me.) And when "Lost" veteran Maggie Grace appeared on screen, this same friend thought she was in Son-in-Law with Pauly Shore possibly mistaking her for the role Gugino played there.
Normally when it comes to movies the Rock is in, I'm not expecting Oscar-worthy material.The revenge flick doesn't fall into this category either, unless you count The Rules of the Game or something on that level.This, however, is a damn fine example of the genre and one of the best I've ever seen.
The posture that he imposes is absolutely fascinating.When i read the plot, I thought this movie is not going to be any different from others of same genre, but no, this is very must different the journey till the end was incredibly fast, no faster, no fastest, yes.Everyone in this movie did justice for their portrayed character and it was nothing that was over rated in the movie.Rock's whole physical appearance is his best asset and He has carried it well.This is one good movie you can watch.
Released from jail after ten years a man goes on a killing spree using a kill list to avenge his bothers death before the police stop him or a hired assassin kills him.Amongst a stellar supporting cast Tom Berenger briefly cameos, here Dwayne Johnson is less caricature and plays against type cast delivering the acting required for such a weighty role.
Director George Tillman Jr. delivers a gritty revenge redemption flick with some good action setups, great visuals but to is credit the pleasant surprise is that it's character driven and has a fine closing twist..
Faster is a very entertaining action film which made me have a good time of drama and violence, despite its lack of narrative innovation.However, co-screenwriters Tony and Joe Gayton took advantage of that lack of originality in order to build a solid tribute to the exploitation cinema which was pretty popular during the '70s.
To start with, the driver is not rejoiced by the death of his enemies; thanks to the solid (and almost mute) performance from Dwayne Johnson, it is perfectly clear that the main character only fulfills with his duty in order to honor his dead brother's memory, and that he does not find any pleasure in the revenge.
He might not be a brilliant actor, but Johnson has showed a good range in every type of movies, from the comedy to the action, and even though not every movie in which he is involved in is good, he always shows aplomb and credibility with the characters he interprets.Billy Bob Thornton also brings a competent performance as a policeman who is, in noir's best tradition, corrupt, drug-addict and alcoholic.
And finally, I think that Carla Gugino, Jennifer Carpenter and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje also bring credible performances.In conclusion, I can recommend Faster as a very interesting action film with dynamic direction, good performances and a well written screenplay..
This is a little gem of a movie, This is what Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock should be making in his film career, more action, just like one of his first action movie...
Billy Bob Thorton gives us a good performance about a cop struggling thru his everyday life, and everyone else in the movie did there part well.This is a good movie, and any fan of Dwayne Johnson (The Rock, which is what i will always call him by), or fans of action/revenge kind of films, should go watch.
I mean Billy Bob is useless and dumb, the Rock disappear during the movie, a useless female cop with a gruff voice and the best : a contract killer who used to work as a successful IT businessman ,come on man, you really need to have that much resume to kill idiots....no, people beware of this stinker, a real danger for your left side of the brain...they want me to write at least 10 lines for the review but Im worried I may cause the writers and producers to consider suicide, seriously, their careers are in serious jeopardy and I will suggest them to consider the IT business instead.
You keep wishing that you were shot in head instead having to endure this movie.Where is a good action film like Commando, Raw Deal or payback.
OK, I liked the dirty detective played by Billy Bob Thornton, dividing his time between investigating the murders of many folks (all killed by the main character) and trying to find some quality time for his kid; his partner the honest detective in charge of the case, played by Carla Gugino; and the methodic killer played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen, easily the best part of the movie, in my opinion.
Don't normally watch Dwayne Johnson films but with Billy Bob Thornton and a 6.5 IMDb rating I thought I'd give it a try.
Well, the movie has several visually catchy and intensive moments, but the plot is hectic and with unbelievable scenes and events: such a memorable type like James Cullen / Driver (pleasantly performed by Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock) cannot simply arrive, kill and leave for multiple times after his photo has been shown on TV and newspapers!
That wonderful actor, Billy Bob Thornton, makes this movie happen as does the actor Dwayne Johnson formally known as The Rock.
It starts with Dwayne Johnson seeking revenge while trying to make us care about Billy Bob Thorton and an assassin that looks like a male model.
Usually in this type of film the story kind of disintegrates into a hail of bullets or face pounding's, but this is where the film really sets itself apart with elements of it that don't go at all the way you expected and some of the bit part players really deliver some great scenes that are at times enthralling and worthy of applause.In the end I would describe it as 'the good, the bad, and the ugly' updated for the 21st century, though not in the same league, it's a real honor that i could even draw a comparison considering the expectations i had going in.
Faster is not as good as it could have been (and it's surprisingly slow) and it's brought down by poor direction in some scenes and a pointless and awful hitman character but it benefits from good performances from Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton, some good car chases and a really good ending..
Both the Driver (Dwayne Johnson) & the Killer had an ego: pushing themselves beyond their limits.This is a movie with a story packed with twists, actions in correspondence with character's nature, and at the same time it leaves an excellent lesson from both of the main characters..
One of the hard-boiled R-rated roles for actor Dwayne Johnson as Driver, just before entering the "The Fast & Furious Franchise" in 2011 as the character of Hobbs, finally leaving behind the former wrestler identifying name "The Rock" in motion picture credits to focus on full-time acting between comedy and action movies, where "Faster" stands out, directed by George Tillman Jr., who established a competent reputation as Director with "Men of Honor" (2000), arguably delivers his most stylized movie with creative angle, location and flickering light works, which carries the audience for 90 Minutes through an action-packed scenario with a slightly sub-cooled main character, who has been well supported by his encountering acting fellows all up front actor Billy Bob Thornton, playing skillfully with the edge of police force corruptors within the character of Cop, which leads to ultimate weakness of the "Faster" in given the part of Killer to the too slick looking actor Oliver Jackson-Cohen, leaving the showdown of the movie unspectacularly unthrilling, yet script-wise resolved, after a fulminate pacing in the first 60 Minutes.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemjasty Entertainments LLC).
So, for an action movie with a simple revenge plot, this movie is actually not so predictable.If like me you were hoping to see Dwayne Johnson show his great fighting skills you will be disappointed, this is mainly about cars and guns.
This was a refreshing change of roles for Dwayne Johnson, and I will actually go as far as saying that a role like the one in "Faster" is what he is best suited for.While the movie itself is a no-brainer, it is actually good entertainment.
Driver is released from prison and has one thing on his mind only; to revenge his dead brother by taking the lives of those responsible.As I started out with mentioning, Dwayne Johnson was actually really good in this role and delivered quite well.
I don't normally think much of the acting of Billy Bob Thornton, but he was great in this movie."Faster" is an action-packed ride with cars, guns, knives and a classic cat-and-mouse chase.
And Faster has quite the cast: Dwayne Johnson as Driver Billy Bob Thornton as Detective Slade Humphries / Cop Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Killer Maggie Grace as Lily Moon Bloodgood as Marina HumphriesBut the film don't have the best acting in the world it is more or less just mix.
FASTER sees Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson returning to the fold of action cinema after wasting his time in dumb comedies and kiddie movies.
Faster is a typical revenge flick, done at a pace that makes its title most ironic!Dwayne Johnson is a man hell bent on killing the gang that killed his brother and got him jailed.
I mean, there's not really much to act on here, which makes it all the more easier for him.Billy Bob Thornton, a not a very pretty man who is as boring an actor as Ridiculous Cage is, sleepwalks his way through it as a doped up cop and is often hard to look at...The rest of the cast are watchable enough, with the handsome Oliver Cohen in perhaps the most insignificant role I've seen.
Now lets be honest, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson probably isn't what comes to mind when you think of a great actor, but this movie is easily one of his best.
Dwayne "The rock" Johnson stars in "faster" A movie about a fresh out of prison man bent on killing the people related his brothers murder.Throughout the film you could tell what would happen next, because there are so many elements this movie has borrowed from other films.Though this film had good action sequences, and a decent soundtrack, there was not that much character development to get all of your heart with the story.The protagonist, who we as the audience, should know the most about, is a perfect example of this.There is a really good part of the movie towards the end(you will know it when you see it).In the end this is a great movie to RENT, especially for fans of "the rock".
At first I was like 'nah this another dumb THE ROCK movie with no story just pure action and crappy acting'.
Love the Rock Dwayne Johnson) when he plays in movies like this.
For a stupid revenge movie with a narrow plot I was at least expecting some crazy The Rock action, but that doesn't really happen.
Faster is a nice refresher for those who want the action, dangerous side of Dwayne Johnson a.k.a the Rock.
"Faster" (2010) Directed by George Tillman Jr. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thorton Running Time 98 Minutes, Rated R.
The good thing about 'revenge' type films is that you don't need much in the way of a story.