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Faster Stars: Dwayne Johnson (“The Rock”), Billy Bob Thornton, Carla Guigino, Moon Bloodgood, Mike Epps, Maggie Grace, Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Tom Berenger Director: George Tillman, Jr. Scriptwriters: Joe Gayton and Tony Gayton Composer: Clint Mansell Cinematographer: Michael Grady CBS/Tri-Star Rating: R for language and violence Running Length: 99 minutes Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) has left family films behind, including The Tooth Fairy. Enter a fast-paced, action, revenge film where Johnson takes over the role of a Terminator-style (man of few words) killer. (Think Arnold Schwarzenegger in action.) What makes “Faster” (and actually the cars could not go any faster) passably work is that there are few quiet moments. Then it is squeal tires, stomp on gas pedal leaving tire marks on pavement and off to the next killing. Simple script, probably a page in length, including the names of the actors here, Killer, Driver, and Cop. The story begins as a man is released from prison (Johnson known as Driver) and being offered outside help by the warden, Tom Berenger, who should have been in the film for a longer time, he being a man of facial expression and Billy Bob Thornton the other. Johnson quietly listens and then says, “Where is the exit?” No one is waiting for him, so he RUNS to the nearest town, goes to a scrap metal place, where under a cover is a black muscle car, gun, and a list of names. Guess who is out for revenge. Day One and Johnson kills a guy in an office---never mind surveillance cameras---and the game is afoot with 94 more minutes to go in the film. Carla Guigino, as a savvy cop, is assigned the case, but finds herself an unwilling partner with Billy Bob Thornton (who likes drugs and is known only as Cop) trailing Johnson like a sick-looking bloodhound. Also on Johnson’s trail is a for-hire killer (suave Oliver Jackson-Cohen known as Killer), who twists himself into yoga positions like a bent pretzel and has a gun-toting girlfriend, Maggie Grace. We never figure out the relationship between Oliver and Maggie or why he does what he does, but they certainly are a beautiful couple. In the meantime, Johnson keeps going down his list of people and through flashbacks we discover that he and his brother were part of a robbery team and someone set them up. Everyone was supposedly killed, but Johnson survived, only to be sent to prison. The film is made up of vignettes where Johnson accosts someone from his past and after listening to them repent, still shots them. This tires quickly and there are few surprises until the end. Dwayne Johnson doesn’t act or react in this film, he stands there with a gun and has people react from seeing him. His body is probably in better shape than his wrestling days and if you would put him into the Old West, he could take the Clint Eastwood roles. Johnson’s gun, by the way, looks like a shotgun that has been sawed down to a revolver. Even Oliver Jackson-Cohen was impressed. Billy Bob Thornton does steal the film, looking wise and beat-up at the same time. Michael Grady’s cinematography gives a stark look to the film and Clint Mansell’s music is driving and on edge. Just right for action. There isn’t much plot to Faster, and the police are slow to piece things together, but the escape scene where Johnson drives backward at a high rate of speed and manages to out-run the cops is a gem. Copyright 2010 Marie Asner 
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