September 02, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)
In Jon Watts’s new comedy-thriller, “Wolfs,” Brad Pitt and George Clooney take on the roles of two seemingly solitary operatives who find themselves unexpectedly working together.
Known for directing the successful “Spider-Man: Homecoming” trilogy, Watts appears to relish the opportunity to break free from the Marvel universe and embrace a more relaxed, playful approach with this film. However, the outcome may be a bit ironic, as “Wolfs” ends up feeling like a cinematic version of the popular meme where two Spider-Men point at each other.
The film opens with a dramatic nighttime shot of the Manhattan skyline. A loud crash and a woman’s scream fill the air. Margaret, played by Amy Ryan in a somewhat thankless role, has been having a fling with a young man she met at a bar.
When things go awry and the young man ends up dead, Margaret calls Clooney’s character, thinking he is the best person for the job. Meanwhile, the hotel reaches out to Pitt’s character, who also believes he is the perfect choice. The twist? Both men, who consider themselves “lone wolves,” end up on the same assignment, proving they might not be as solitary as they thought.
The film lists the characters’ names as Nick and Jack, although the movie doesn’t make much effort to distinguish them beyond their star personas. It’s almost as if Watts wants us to see them not as characters, but as Pitt and Clooney themselves.
One can’t help but wonder if switching their roles would have made any difference. The truth is, probably not, because these two “fixers” are essentially cut from the same cloth. They both sport gravelly voices, intense stares, black leather jackets, and greying stubble, creating an almost comical mirror image.
The plot thickens when the supposedly dead young man, played by Austin Abrams with a quirky, awkward charm, turns out to be very much alive and quickly flees the scene. This sets off a chaotic chase through Lower Manhattan, with Pitt and Clooney’s characters grumbling about their aches and pains and lamenting that they might be too old for this line of work.
While the film is a lighthearted and somewhat self-indulgent crime caper, the real entertainment comes from watching Pitt and Clooney clearly enjoy themselves.
Their chemistry and infectious fun keep the film lively, even as the plot becomes increasingly absurd. Twists and turns abound, involving a trunk full of drugs and a group of Albanian gangsters, all while Pitt and Clooney’s characters try to maintain their cool, often to the tune of Sade’s “Smooth Operator.”
The young man, amused by their dynamic, jokes that the two are “basically the same guy,” highlighting the film’s main concept. However, this also becomes the movie’s downfall, as the initial humor of their similarities wears thin, and the story begins to drag.
Great buddy films thrive on the tension and differences between characters, just as great rivalries in sports are defined by contrasting styles. Like Redford and Newman or Djokovic and Nadal, a good pairing needs contrast to keep things interesting. In “Wolfs,” however, Pitt and Clooney’s characters are too similar, leaving them to simply growl and grumble until the film’s end.
“Wolfs” premiered at the Venice Film Festival and will be available in North American theaters starting September 20. It will also be streaming globally on Apple TV+ from September 27.
