Faster (2010 Film)

''Faster'' is a 2010 American action thriller film directed by George Tillman Jr. The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Carla Gugino, Maggie Grace, Moon Bloodgood, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Tom Berenger. ''Faster'' was released on November 24, 2010. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $35 million against a production budget of $24 million.

Plot

On leaving prison Jimmy Cullen retrieves his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, a gun, and a list of names before heading to a telemarketing office in Bakersfield, California and killing a man named Prescott Ashton. He then visits Roy Grone, who gave him the car and gun, and forces him to give him more names. Meanwhile, Cullen is tracked by detectives Cicero and Humphries; a hitman known as “Killer” is also hired to kill Cullen.

Cullen locates the second person on his list, Kenneth Tyson, who films his own personal snuff films. After finding and killing Tyson, Cullen gets into a gunfight with Killer in the hallway, but manages to escape. This affects Killer philosophically, and, after proposing marriage to his girlfriend, Lily, begins to take the task personally. Humphries and Cicero investigate Cullen’s past and discover he was double-crossed during a robbery. Cicero remembers him from a video of his older half-brother Gary's death filmed by Tyson, which depicts an unidentified man shooting Cullen in the head; he narrowly survives, and has a metal plate surgically implanted in his skull.

Cullen visits his former girlfriend, Nan Porterman who knows he is killing those involved from the video of Gary's death. After revealing that she aborted their unborn child and has begun a new life by having a family, she wishes him well. At a strip club in Nevada, Cullen stabs bouncer Hovis Nixon for his role in Gary’s death, but he manages to survive. Soon, both Humphries and Killer get word that Nixon is in the hospital. Knowing Cullen will go back to finish him off, they converge there.

Cullen enters the hospital and kills Nixon while he is in surgery. Humphries unsuccessfully attempts to bring down Cullen, but is spared when the latter sees his badge. While driving away from the hospital, Cullen encounters Killer where they get into a high-speed chase on the freeway, culminating in Killer shooting Cullen in the neck.

Eventually Cullen comes to believe that his father arranged to have him and Gary killed after they refused to share the money they stole in a bank robbery. However, Cullen finds out that his father died years before, and realises that it was Gary’s girlfriend who sold them out. The last man on his list is a traveling evangelist named Alexander Jerrod; after concluding his service, he is confronted by Cullen, but is spared after revealing that he has turned his life around and begging for forgiveness. Cullen is then confronted by Killer.

Cicero eventually learns the true identity of the man who shot Cullen, and she hurries to the church where Humphries is already on the scene. As Killer and Cullen confront each other, Humphries walks in and shoots Cullen in the head, revealing it was he who shot him in the video. He offers Killer the money for the job, but Killer declines, telling Humphries to never contact him again.

Humphries calls his wife, Marina, who is revealed to have been his informant, while she was still Gary's girlfriend. Suddenly, he is shot and killed by Cullen, who survived due to his metal plate. Cicero arrives on the scene after Cullen leaves, and she covers up Humphries’ involvement.

Cullen scatters Gary's ashes in the sea and drives off into the sunset, while Killer returns home to Lily; simultaneously, Jerrod begins a sermon on forgiveness.

Cast

* Dwayne Johnson as Jimmy Cullen / Driver, a small-time criminal who avenges his brother's death.
* Billy Bob Thornton as Det. Slade Humphries / Cop, a police detective.
* Carla Gugino as Det. Cicero, a police detective and Humphries' partner.
* Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Killer, a hit-man hired to kill Driver.
* Maggie Grace as Lily, Killer's girlfriend, who later on became his wife.
* Moon Bloodgood as Marina Humphries, Gary's ex-girlfriend and Cop's ex-wife.
* Courtney Gains as Prescott Ashton / Telemarketer.
* John Cirigliano as Kenneth Tyson / Old Guy
* Lester Speight as Hovis Nixon / Baphomet.
* Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Alexander Jarod Evangelist, a former criminal who is now a priest.
* Tom Berenger as Warden.
* Mike Epps as Roy Grone.
* Xander Berkeley as Sergeant Mallory.
* Matt Gerald as Gary Cullen. Driver's brother
* Annie Corley as Mrs Cullen / Mother
* Jennifer Carpenter as Nan Porterman.
* Michael Irby as Vaquero.
* Aedin Mincks as Tommy Humphries. Cop's son

Production

'' Variety'' reported in May 2009 that Dwayne Johnson was in final negotiations for his role and that Phil Joanou would be directing. That September it was reported that Joanou had dropped out and George Tillman Jr. would direct. Salma Hayek was considered for the role of Cicero, but a week before filming was started she dropped out due to scheduling issues. Hayek was replaced by Carla Gugino. Principal photography began on February 8, 2010, in Los Angeles, California and continued in Pasadena and Santa Clarita in California.

Chevelle

The Chevrolet Chevelle driven by "Driver" which is prominently displayed in the movie has the rear of a 1971 or 1972 model, but the front of a 1970 model presumably due to the rarity and value of the 1970 Chevelle SS 454 which the car in the film is presumably portraying (it is never actually specified).

Soundtrack

Additionally, another song used for the film include "En mi viejo San Juan" (Spanish for, "In my old San Juan") composed by Noel Epinanio Estrada Suárez and sung by Mexican singer and actor, Javier Solís.

Box office

''Faster'' grossed $23.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $12.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $35.6 million.

The film grossed $12.2 million over its five-day Thanksgiving release weekend.

It was released on video on March 1, 2011, and it grossed $17.3 million in DVD and Blu-ray sales in the US.

Reception

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.

Roger Ebert for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' said,

References

External links

Official website
(archive)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Faster (2010 film)
2010 films
2010 action thriller films
2010s American films
2010s English-language films
2010s vigilante films
American action thriller films
American films about revenge
American police detective films
American vigilante films
Castle Rock Entertainment films
CBS Films films
English-language action thriller films
Films about bank robbery
Films about contract killing in the United States
Films directed by George Tillman Jr.
Films produced by Robert Teitel
Films scored by Clint Mansell
Films set in Los Angeles
Films shot in California
TriStar Pictures films