Seven Snipers
There are times when it feels like action movies forget they are supposed to be fun. Yes, there are filmmakers who have added pathos and emotion to the genre, but they still usually remember to make a fun movie. “Seven Snipers” is not the first movie that I’ve had this thought about- and it likely won’t be the only one I watch this year- but it has a game cast, and an interesting premise, making the lack of enjoyment I got out of the whole 88-minute affair disappointing.
I’m all for seeing actors not associated with action films getting cast as the lead of an action film- Liam Neeson in “Taken” was such an example, although the decades after that makes it hard to remember that he was an acclaimed actor before that film. Sandra Sciberras’s film has, as its lead, Radha Mitchell, who has done genre films in the past (“Silent Hill” being the most famous, although she does have other notable credits, though in a supporting role), but I think most people would associate her with her work in films like “High Art” and “Melinda and Melinda” (where she has an incandescent dual turn, if you can get past the fact that Woody Allen made it). Here, Mitchell plays a former sniper who is trying to have a normal life with her 16-year-old daughter until her past catches up with her. She then precedes to come “out of retirement” to fight for her future peace.
The screenplay by Andrew O’Keefe is certainly not unique in its thinking- this is a little bit of “Taken” and “John Wick,” but with a more military ops background. Mitchell is an ideal choice for this type of material- not only is she a terrific actress capable of getting to the sparse emotions in the script, as well as selling the emotional core she’s supposed to have with Annabel Wolfe as her daughter, but we believe she’s fully capable of kicking ass. The titles comes from how some of her old colleagues (played by the likes of Ioan Gruffudd, Bianca Wallace and Charles Cottier) come to her aide when a hitman sent by The Dragon (Tim Roth), comes to her land. That makes for the setup of much of the film- a group trying to protect, as well as mow down attackers. It’s a very stripped down narrative, and it has plenty of possibilities for pathos, but the film ultimately feels very dreary. The actors do what they can, but the film isn’t really able to ramp up tension, and emotion, making the lack of entertainment that much more of a letdown.
