For those few unfortunate souls who may have seen the painfully unfunny black comedy Mr Right, in which the always watchable Sam Rockwell starred as a lovable, semi-hunky hitman opposite Anna Kendrick, this film offers a traumatic trigger. Once again, Rockwell stars as a tough guy for hire – not a hitman, exactly, though he ends up killing lots and lots of people. This time he plays opposite up-and-coming actor Phoebe Fox (The Hollow Crown), who is also, like Kendrick was, a good actor trapped in a middling to poor film. And once again, it is a story seemingly meant to be funny but only fitfully successful in this mission, and way too pleased with its own brand of deadpan wisecracking.
Rockwell’s Eddie is an ex-con working in a diner in New York City with his comrade-in-crime Paul (Ben Schwartz, one of the movie’s brighter spots) when an English lawyer (Fox, sporting an up-do and glasses you just know are going to come off to reveal a hot babe by the end) walks through the door and offers them a job stealing a satchel full of MacGuffery in London. Naturally, it all goes wrong, and the principals end up in a scruffy-glam loft space spying on a pub full of thugs across the street.
An assortment of interesting British character actors drop by to contribute colourful turns, some better than others. For instance, it’s always a treat to see arthouse siren of the 1980s Amanda Donohoe (Castaway) out and about, although one rather wishes she didn’t have to settle for the role of a Cockney hag, fake-leopard fur and all. Somewhat more successful is the offering from Simon Callow as a kindly uncle reporting the cuss-rich dialogue of the bad guys in a plummy voice. Indeed, there are enough well-landed gags to keep one entertained, but this feels like a film destined to be buried on Netflix after a brief career as in-flight entertainment.
