Wolfs Movie Review

“Wolfs” is about two fixers who meet up accidentally because… they’re hired to do the same job. The men are Jack, played by George Clooney (he’s “Margaret’s Man”), and Nick, played by Brad Pitt (“Pam’s Man”). New York DA Margaret (Amy Ryan) has gotten herself into quite the pickle. ​

While a young man (Austin Abrams) she’s in bed with is, jumping on the bed, thrilled to be with an attractive older woman, he slips and falls. Because of the fall, quite a mess is made of the room and of his life. He goes through a glass table, and he seems to no longer be viable, much like the table. If she could have kept her paws off of him, she wouldn’t be in this predicament. Thinking about it, she calls “her man” Jack, who can help her clean things up. He comes and makes haste with his assignment.

Back to Nick. He’s been sent there by the hotel manager, Pam. We only hear her by telephone through conversations with Nick. She’s voiced by Frances McDormand, who knows a thing or two about thrillers from working with her husband, filmmaker Joel Coen. Look up his repertoire if you aren’t aware of the movies he has entertained us with through the years, such as “Intolerable Cruelty,” “No Country for Old Men,” and “Bad Santa.” He’s a master.

Anyway, Nick tells Margaret that he’s there to take care of her problem. She’s confused, unaware she has been spied on the entire time she has been in the hotel. Who could know about the situation in which she finds herself, not to mention that she already has a man for this task? Frustrated with them both, she leaves them to sort things out. They don’t trust one another but know each other’s reputations. Neither of them works with a partner because they’re so good a partner isn’t needed. Have I mentioned their egos? Nick and Jack are now in their own bind, cleaning up the mess regarding this twenty-something kid.

Up to now, unfortunately, it is a bit childish, and the stale storyline has you yawning more than once. When these two get a script loaded with humorous chatter, they can make it work like no other. Sadly, we’re beyond the thirty-minute mark and the film has yet to show us its true potential. Nothing is going on that you haven’t seen before or can foretell. At this point, you’re wondering how Watts was able to cast these two. We know what they’re capable of, especially when working together, but this isn’t it. Will it get better?

It does. They begin sizing each other up. They have flashes of overlapping arguing that work with their archetype. You’ll like the dialogue between Clooney and Pitt. Their chemistry launches the movie from boring to the charming, intense gag it becomes. Not everything is golden, but it’s fun when Nick and Jack eventually agree to work together. One scene has them stuffing the young man’s body into the trunk of a car, where they realize the “Kid” is still alive.

The action in the movie picks up from here. Sadly, it takes too long to happen, but you’ll be pleased with the results. It’s silly, but it’s the good Pitt and Clooney silly. They are almost the only reason to see the “Wolfs,” but I won’t say it’s not a good watch because everything done with Austin Abrams, Margaret’s unnamed boy toy, will get laughs, and I not just from a specific demographic. The audience I saw this with was people of all ages, and they, for the most part, were delighted by what they saw.

I’ll be honest. We’ve all seen this movie before, but it has been a while. Once we get past the setup, it improves. With Pitt and Clooney, you get the feel of the Butch and Sundance-type movies from the Newman and Redford years. It’s fascinating to experience how these two get along at the end, to put their nightmare to rest. This being the case, can “Wolfs” be defined as a buddy film? I’ll let you decide that.

“You took the job. Now you gotta finish it.” That becomes an anthem used in the film… and for all actors to keep in mind.

*I recommend seeing this in the theater to keep you focused and involved when the action picks up.

If you can’t, it’s an Apple Original and will be streaming on September 27^th.