Fast Charlie

{{Infobox film

| image = Fast_charlie_poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Phillip Noyce

| screenplay = Richard Wenk

| based_on = {{Based on|Gun Monkeys|Victor Gischler}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Ryan Donnell Smith
Brent C. Johnson
Jeff Holland
Daniel Grodnik
Mitchell Welch

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = Warwick Thornton

| editing = {{Plainlist|

Lee Haugen
Jered Zalman

}}

| music = Fil Eisler

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Ashland Hill Media Finance
Thomasville Pictures

}}

| distributor = Vertical Entertainment

| released = {{Film date|2023|10|07|Mill Valley|2023|12|08|United States}}

| runtime = 90 minutes{{Cite web |date=March 11, 2024|title=Fast Charlie (15) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/fast-charlie-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde5otm5|access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=BBFC}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $16 million{{cite web |url=https://fastlaneng.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com/public/search/ent |title=Fastlane NextGen: Initial Certification Search |website=Louisiana Economic Development |format=Type "Fast Charlie" in the search box |date= April 20, 2022 |access-date=February 17, 2023 |archive-date=June 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615095911/https://fastlaneng.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com/public/search/ent |url-status=live }}

| gross =

}}

Fast Charlie is a 2023 American action thriller film directed by Phillip Noyce and written by Richard Wenk, based on the 2001 novel Gun Monkeys by Victor Gischler. It stars Pierce Brosnan, James Caan and Morena Baccarin.

It premiered at the 2023 Mill Valley Film Festival on October 7, 2023. The film was released in select theatres and video on demand on December 8, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Grobar |first=Matt |date=2023-10-06 |title=James Caan's Final Movie 'Fast Charlie' Sets U.S. Release With Vertical; Pierce Brosnan & Morena Baccarin Lead Ensemble |url=https://deadline.com/2023/10/fast-charlie-movie-james-caan-release-vertical-1235565922/ |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

Premise

For twenty years, Charlie Swift has been a fixer and hitman for a mob boss named Stan. After a rival boss puts a hit on Stan and his crew, Charlie is the sole survivor. Charlie decides to avenge his friend and teams up with Marcie, the ex-wife of a mobster he killed.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Pierce Brosnan as Charlie Swift
Morena Baccarin as Marcie Kramer
James Caan as Stan Mullen
Gbenga Akinnagbe as Beggar
Christopher Matthew Cook as Lloyd "The Freak" Mercury
David Chattam as Milt
Toby Huss as Benny
Fredric Lehne as Sal
Sharon Gless as Mavis
Brennan Keel Cook as Blade
Susan Gallagher as Celine
Lindsey G. Smith as Giselle
David Kallaway as Ronnie
Stephen Louis Grush as Goat
Jared Bankens as Stone Cold
Jacob Grodnik as Paulie

}}

Production

In June 2009, Victor Gischler's 2001 novel Gun Monkeys was optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura set to direct.{{Cite web |url=http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2009/06/10/Ryhei-Kitamura-attached-to-direct-adaptation-of-Victor-Gischlers-GUN-MONKEYS |title=Lee Goldberg Adapts Gun Monkeys |access-date=October 24, 2022 |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205202248/http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2009/06/10/Ryhei-Kitamura-attached-to-direct-adaptation-of-Victor-Gischlers-GUN-MONKEYS |url-status=dead }} In 2018, producer Dan Grodnik discovered the project, acquired the underlying rights and brought in Phillip Noyce to direct (Noyce had directed Blind Fury starring Rutger Hauer for him in 1989).

Both Kevin Costner and Bryan Cranston expressed interest in starring, but the film didn't come together until Pierce Brosnan signed on.{{cite news |last1=Grobar |first1=Matt |title=Pierce Brosnan To Star In Phillip Noyce's Hitman Thriller Fast Charlie — AFM |url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/fast-charlie-pierce-brosnan-to-star-in-phillip-noyce-thriller-afm-1234864405/ |access-date=October 28, 2021 |work=Deadline Hollywood |date=October 28, 2021}} In March 2022, James Caan and Morena Baccarin joined the cast.{{cite web|last=Wiseman|first=Andreas|url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/deadpool-morena-baccarin-james-caan-pierce-brosnan-fast-charlie-1234991656/|title=James Caan & Deadpool Star Morena Baccarin Join Pierce Brosnan In Philip Noyce's Fast Charlie, Filming Begins Next Week In New Orleans|date=March 31, 2022|work=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=March 31, 2022}}

Filming began in April 2022 in New Orleans.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Fast Charlie was the last film to star Caan, who died on July 6, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/lawsuit-james-caans-final-movie-1235072927/|title=Lawsuit Filed Over James Caan's Final Film, Fast Charlie|date=July 20, 2022|first1=Tom|last1=Tapp|first2=Matt|last2=Grobar|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=July 20, 2022}} In the same month, Brosnan posted photos of Caan on the film's set.{{cite news |last=Juneau |first=Jen |title=Pierce Brosnan Shares Photos of James Caan from Set of Late Actor's Final Film: 'You Were an Inspiration' |url=https://people.com/movies/pierce-brosnan-james-caan-tribute-final-movie-fast-charlie-set-photos/ |access-date=October 24, 2022 |work=People |date=July 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220708181650/https://people.com/movies/pierce-brosnan-james-caan-tribute-final-movie-fast-charlie-set-photos/ |archive-date=July 8, 2022}}

Release

The film premiered at the 2023 Mill Valley Film Festival on October 7, 2023, while the film was released in select theatres and video on demand on December 8, 2023, by Vertical Entertainment.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-15 |title=Fast Charlie Trailer: Pierce Brosnan Leads Action Thriller |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fast-charlie-trailer-pierce-brosnan-222759151.html |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=Yahoo Entertainment |language=en-US}}

Reception

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|84|6.6|31|consensus=Thanks largely to Pierce Brosnan's charming work in the title role, Fast Charlie is a slickly watchable thriller that engages despite its standard story.|access-date=October 20, 2024|ref=y}} {{Metacritic film prose|65|6|ref=yes|access-date=April 14, 2024}}