Whilst the ‘American Dream’ may come in many different shapes and sizes, the common denominator is almost always money. Success is measured by the size of your bank balance. On your holiday destination, zip code or the car you drive. Materialism is the new God. Worship at the altar of Mammon. The depths some people will stoop to get rich can be drastic and makes you question the human race. And then there’s Gringo.
In the offices of Promethium, a drug company with a side-line in illegal, co-presidents Richard Rusk (Joel Edgerton) and Elaine Markinson (Charlize Theron) are in for a shock. Their employee, and Richard’s alleged friend, Harold (David Oyelowo) has been kidnapped in Mexico and being held to ransom. Given that Richard’s having an affair with his wife (Thandie Newton), he’s in no great hurry to cough up the readies. Harold, for his part, may not actually be as helpless as you might think.
Gringo is an outlandish crime caper which doesn’t take anything seriously. The characters are all larger than life, except Amanda Seyfried’s Sunny who is the only decent human being in the entire movie. Albeit, her subplot with Sharlto Copley feels slightly unnecessary. Be prepared to suspend your belief, and taste, at times. Director Nash Edgerton let’s everything run wild, which works both in its favour and against Gringo. It’s entertaining enough, but never really offer much in the realms of originality.
Gringo is available on Digital Download and released on DVD by STX Entertainment UK on 16 July.
