Faster (2010 film)


Faster is a 2010 American action thriller film directed by George Tillman Jr.. Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton star as a criminal seeking vengeance and the corrupt cop who pursues him, respectively. Tom Berenger, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Carla Gugino also appear. Faster was released on November 24, 2010, and grossed $35 million against production budget of $24 million.

Plot

Upon leaving prison, "Driver", alias James Cullen, breaks into a run until he retrieves his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle. He drives to an office in Bakersfield, California and kills a man. Driver visits the man who gave him the car and gun, where he forces him to give him a list of names. Meanwhile, Driver is tracked by detective Cicero and her partner Slade Humphries "Cop"—a detective on the verge of retirement whose life is off track due to a debilitating heroin addiction. Cicero gets a break in the case when she recognizes Driver on video. Later, a nameless hitman, "Killer", is hired to kill Driver. Killer promises his girlfriend Lily it is his last job.
Driver heads to the second name on his list, an old man, Kenneth Tyson, who films his own personal snuff films. He is in the middle of filming a sexual assault when Driver busts in the door and shoots him dead. Killer initiates a gun fight in the hallway, but Driver escapes. This affects Killer philosophically, who proposes to Lily and takes the case personally. Cop and Detective are investigating Driver's past and discover he was double crossed. Cicero remembers Driver from a video of his half-brother Gary's death, filmed by the videographer, Tyson. On tape, an unidentified man shoots Driver in the head, but he narrowly survives, needing a metal plate in his skull.
Driver visits his old girlfriend's house. She knows he is killing the people in the video and, after revealing she aborted their unborn child and has begun a new life, she tells him she hopes he succeeds. At a strip club in Nevada, Driver stabs a bouncer, Hovis Nixon, who killed his half-brother, Gary. Soon, both Cop and Killer get word that the man survived the stabbing and is in the hospital. Knowing Driver will go back to finish him off, they converge there.
Driver enters the hospital and kills Nixon when he is in surgery. Cop attempts to bring down Driver but is unsuccessful; however, Driver spares his life after seeing his badge. While driving away from the hospital, Driver encounters Killer. After a high-speed chase on the freeway, Killer shoots Driver in the neck after Driver shoots out his tires.
The name not listed is Driver's father. Driver believes his father arranged to have him and his half-brother Gary killed after they refused to share the money they stole in a bank job. Driver is the result of his mother's affair, which Driver's father never forgave. Driver finds out his father died years before, and his mother stitches the gunshot wound on his neck and realises that it was his brother’s girlfriend who was the informant before he leaves. The last man is a traveling evangelist named Alexander Jerrod, and after his service is over and everyone has left, Driver confronts him. Jerrod knows why he is there and tells him that he has turned his life around, begging for forgiveness. Driver spares him, only to be confronted by Killer.
Detective Cicero learns the true identity of the man who shot Driver. She hurries to the church; Cop is already on the scene. Killer tells Driver to pick up his gun so they can have a test of skill. Driver declines, saying he has no fight with him. Killer explains he wanted to be better since he could not walk when he was a child. Cop walks in and shoots Driver in the head, revealing it was he who shot Driver in the video. He gives Killer the money for the job, a single dollar, but Killer declines. Killer departs, telling Cop never to contact him again.
Cop calls his girlfriend, telling her they will be okay because he closed the case and how he has been reading up on women. Cop's wife Marina was Gary's girlfriend and an informant for Cop. She told him about the bank job, and Cop put together the crew to take out Gary and Driver. Suddenly, he is shot by Driver, who survived the shot due to his metal plate. Detective Cicero arrives on the scene after Driver has already left, and she covers up Cop's involvement.
Driver scatters his brother's ashes in the sea and drives off into the sunset; simultaneously, the Evangelist begins a sermon on forgiveness.

Cast

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.

Soundtrack

Release

The film grossed $12,200,000 over the five-day Thanksgiving release. It stayed in theaters until February 10, 2011. The film ultimately grossed $35,626,958 worldwide. The film was produced on a $24 million budget. It was released on video on March 1, 2011, and it grossed another $17.3 million in DVD and Blu-ray sales in the US.

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 42% of 128 critics have given the film a review; the rating average is 4.87 out of 10. The site's consensus reads: "It's good to see Dwayne Johnson back in full-throttle action mode, but Faster doesn't deliver enough of the high-octane thrills promised by its title." It holds a Metacritic score of 44 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times said, "Rotate the plot, change the period, spruce up the dialogue, and this could have been a hard boiled 1940s noir. But it doesn't pause for fine touches and efficiently delivers action for an audience that likes one-course meals".