Review: Gringo

An immensely entertaining romp shot through with the spirit of Elmore Leonard, Gringo also serves as a showcase for David Oyelowo, best known for more serious fare like Selma, A United Kingdom and Queen of Katwe, but proving he has comedic chops to spare.

Oyelowo plays Harold Soyinka, a Nigerian immigrant working in middle management for a pharmaceutical company in Chicago run by college chum Richard (Joel Edgerton), who might be the most deplorable jerk this side of the Northern Hemisphere. Kind and trusting Harold is as blinkered to and forgiving of his friend's ruthless ways as he is to his wife Bonnie's (Thandie Newton) spendthrift and adulterous ways. Harold believes that working hard and doing the right thing, which makes him the perfect patsy for Richard and his even more ruthless and ball-busting co-worker and lover, Elaine (Charlize Theron). The devious duo have been keeping Harold in the dark about several things, significantly a merger that will put him out of a job and selling their latest product, named Cannabax, a medical marijuana pill, to a Mexican drug lord named Black Panther (Carlos Corona) who, shall we say, is less than pleased when he's informed that the two want to sever ties.

Deciding that being a good guy gets him nowhere after discovering that he's being screwed over by his friend and wife, Harold stages his own kidnapping whilst on a business trip to Mexico. Back in Chicago, neither Richard nor Elaine have any intentions of paying the $5 million ransom demand. Richard enlists his brother Mitch (Sharlto Copley), a former mercenary turned do-gooder, to first extract then do away with Harold, who finds himself genuinely kidnapped by Black Panther, who believes he is holding the formula for Cannabax. Also in the mix is Sunny (Amanda Seyfried), a young woman on holiday in Mexico with her boyfriend Miles (Harry Treadaway), whom she doesn't realise is actually there to smuggle some Cannabax back across the border. Though this particular subplot may be one complication too many, it does allow for the feature film debut of Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris, who establishes herself as a sparky and natural presence in her one scene as the sexy rock chick who convinces Miles to do the job.

Gringo is essentially a plate-spinning exercise - how many can screenwriters Anthony Tambakis and Matthew Stone and director Nash Edgerton (brother of Joel) keep going without literally losing the plot - but there's an idiosyncratic energy to the way all the different narrative threads and characters are executed that makes for compelling viewing. It's snappy and cynical and, as despicable as most of the characters are, they're tremendously fun to watch and skirt just the edge of cartoonish. Absolute credit goes to the cast, all of whom are game and memorable, whatever the size of their role. Theron, who also produced the film, is especially indelible as the uber-alpha female Elaine, looking for all the world like a Helmut Newton vamp come to life with her lips stained like venom, hard-edged blondness, and unapologetic sexuality.

Yet Oyelowo is the undisputed star here, embodying Harold's sad-sack underdog with a dignity that keeps one rooting for him to have a happy ending. Whether he's giving a slight furrow of a brow, singing along to Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It," joyously dancing in the streets of Mexico, calling to the gods in despair, or keeping up the pretence of being kidnapped, he is nothing less than stellar.

Gringo

Directed by: Nash Edgerton

Written by: Anthony Tambakis, Matthew Stone

Starring: David Oyelowo, Joel Edgerton, Charlize Theron, Thandie Newton, Bashir Salahuddin, Amanda Seyfried, Harry Treadaway, Yul Vazquez, Melonie Diaz, Carlos Corona, Sharlto Copley, Paris Jackson, Alan Ruck