What’s It About
Clooney plays a professional fixer hired to cover up a high profile crime. But when a second fixer (Pitt) shows up and the two “lone wolves” are forced to work together, they find their night spiraling out of control in ways that neither one of them expected.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
In the neon-lit canyons of New York City, where secrets are currency and problems need creative solutions, two legendary “fixers” are about to collide. George Clooney and Brad Pitt, reuniting on screen with their signature chemistry intact, play rival problem-solvers whose carefully maintained solitary existences are about to get complicated. When District Attorney Margaret Walsh (a perfectly cast Amy Ryan) finds herself in hot water after her young hookup (Austin Abrams) apparently dies in her hotel room, she does what any powerful person would do – she calls her fixer. What she doesn’t expect is for two to show up: one summoned by her, the other by the hotel’s discreet representative Pamela (Frances McDormand, bringing gravitas to every scene). Suddenly, these lone wolves must become reluctant pack members. Clooney’s world-weary grouch and Pitt’s smooth-talking charmer circle each other warily, their competitive instincts at war with their professional necessity to cooperate. Just when they think they’re dealing with a simple “cleanup,” they discover four bricks of high-grade heroin in the supposedly dead kid’s backpack. And speaking of the “deceased” – he turns out to be very much alive, leading to what might be the year’s most entertaining chase sequence: a barely-clothed young man sprinting through snow-covered streets, pursued by two middle-aged fixers who are starting to question their career choices. The film leans into its stars’ maturity with a delightful self-awareness. In one endearing scene, both men fumble for reading glasses to decipher a pager message, muttering about font sizes. It’s moments like these that elevate “Wolfs” beyond a standard crime caper. As if Croatian mob boss Dimitri (whose very name sends shivers through the New York underworld) wasn’t enough of a complication, the young “victim” turns out to be an enthusiastic fanboy of both fixers. His wide-eyed admiration forces these cynical professionals to confront their jaded worldviews, adding heart to the hijinks. Sure, the plot occasionally creaks under scrutiny. Some twists feel more convenient than clever, and the film sometimes coasts on its stars’ charisma rather than narrative logic. But when the stars are this magnetic, who’s really complaining? “Wolfs” knows exactly what it is – a showcase for two Hollywood icons who can conjure movie magic with just a shared glance or perfectly timed eye roll. It’s a film that understands its audience wants to see Clooney and Pitt trading quips, looking impossibly cool in winter coats, occasionally making fools of themselves, and ultimately showing that even old dogs can learn new tricks. While it may not be headed for the Oscar race, “Wolfs” is a reminder that sometimes the best night out at the movies is watching two masters of their craft having an absolute blast. As winter entertainment goes, you could do a lot worse than watching these silver foxes run circles around each other – and the rest of the cast – for two highly entertaining hours. Come for the stars, stay for the surprising heart, and don’t think too hard about the plot holes. They’re having fun, and so will you.
OUR RATING – A STAR-POWERED 7