Armed robbers attack one of the cars, take all the money and deal with the witnesses. But the new security guard at the company providing cash collection services, named H (Jason Statham), does not seem to be afraid of the robberies. On the contrary, the taciturn man seems to be waiting for a new mess. Co-workers Machine Gun (Holt McCallany) and Dave (Josh Hartnett) begin to suspect that H is a man with a past, and that he is not working here for the salary.
It’s hard to imagine, but it’s been 16 years since Guy Ritchie last worked with Jason Statham, the actor the colorful Brit once introduced to the world in “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” Much water has flowed under the bridge since “Revolver,” and Statham has become completely ossified in the role of a stern and courageous hero in unremarkable action films.
However, Wrath of Man is not a Statham movie at all, and resembles the conventional Transporter only in the meaningful face of the leading actor. The film also does not resemble Ritchie’s previous work, the spirited crime action film The Gentlemen.
The film’s plot is based on the 2004 French neo-noir “The Cash Collector” starring Jean Dujardin. The central plot point of “Wrath of Man” is an attack on the cash collectors that has already happened. Several threads diverge from it throughout the film – consequences that inevitably lead to even more bloodshed. Ritchie returns the viewer to this event several times, showing it from different points of view in order to carefully describe the characters and motivations of the actors.
It is interesting that Statham’s character in “Wrath of Man” is a protagonist only conditionally. Ritchie mechanically and precisely throws in new heroes, new conditions that work flawlessly in the director’s game with the viewer. In essence, there are no characters here that one could truly empathize with – the world of “Wrath of Man” is populated by villains and predators, in this asphalt jungle the strongest survives. Guy Ritchie delights in confronting bandits and collectors, policemen and corrupt politicians, showing that there is no difference between them – everyone is chasing their own prey.
In Wrath of Man, Ritchie reaches the peak of expressiveness in action scenes.
Shootouts and fights are staged with precision and maintain tension at all stages. In the director’s hands, even Statham ceases to be a killing machine. Here, he is vulnerable both physically and mentally – Aech is obsessed with revenge and bloodlust, which means he has a weak spot. And no one films Statham like Ritchie.
The film is also notable for Josh Hartnett’s return to big screen. True, he got an atypical role, here he plays more of a comedy role, but even in this cowardly character the director finds some nobility. One of the villains – a former Marine who lacks thrills in civilian life – was played by Scott Eastwood. The actor perfectly wields the arsenal of his father’s charisma and masculinity, and in “Wrath of Man” he played one of his most striking roles.
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Cruel times call for cruel measures, this world belongs to predators and murderers, and every banknote is stained with someone’s blood – this is the uncompromising view offered by Guy Ritchie. The director has designed a simple plot about a collector who has embarked on the path of vengeance in some monumental forms. Every step of Statham, every bullet, every line here acquires the scale and pathos akin to Greek tragedy. “Wrath of Man” is an impressive action movie – tough, masculine and without a hint of sentimentality.