Wolfs

Wolfs
Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams
Directed by Jon Watts

Sometimes you can hold the weight of a film solely on the performances, especially with actors who've worked so much together that they're best friends in the real world, and doesn't feel like acting anymore. Two of these actors are George Clooney and Brad Pitt, who've appeared together in seven films and are well-known buddies outside the movie set, and both are good natured pranksters who's rapport with each other is effortless and seamless. So when they come together for a generic, by-the-books caper movie, it elevates it beyond mediocrity due to their charismatic performances.

When Manhattan District Attorney Margaret (Amy Ryan) brings a young man (Austin Abrams) to her hotel room, she's shocked when he accidentally dies. Not wanting to draw attention to the fact, she calls a mysterious number, and a Man (George Clooney) arrives to clean up the mess. He works alone, and prefers it that way - but then there's another knock at the door, and another Man (Brad Pitt) comes in, expecting to clean up the job as well, being instructed by his boss, who runs the hotel. She tells both men that they need to work together to clean up the mess, and neither man trusts the other because they're used to working alone. Then the kid - who was thought dead - is actually alive, and leads the men on a night adventure involving drugs, the Albanian mafia, and Croatian mobsters.

"Wolfs" is a by-the-books movie about two opposing cleaners who must come together for one job, and along the way learn from one another how to operate as a team. It's everything you expect a movie like this to be, with no real deviations in any direction other than the most obvious one, but thankfully it's got the talent of George Clooney and Brad Pitt to keep you entertained. Their dialogue goes further than the page, and you sense the deep appreciation and respect the men have for each other and their craft, allowing them to do more with the material than two actors who don't know each others' every move.

The movie moves at a decent pace, keeping your attention from start to finish as these unnamed men serve as glorified babysitters to a drugged-out kid that's perfectly played with hilarious timing by Austin Abrams, as he manically runs through the snowy streets in just his undies and socks before giving an insane rant as to how he came across drugs in the first place. These three are great together and Jon Watts gives us many opportunities to get to know these characters in deeper ways, even as their (mis)adventure leads them to numerous dangerous situations.

There's not a lot to say about "Wolfs" except it's fun, predictable, and highlighted by great performances and a decent pace that keeps your attention.

The Score: A-