Frank Grillo stars as a getaway driver who gets a call from an unknown number telling him to ditch his crew during a job and take off with the money. As it turns out, it’s only the beginning of a double (or perhaps triple) cross. Soon, people are on the lookout for his car, and he’s wanted by both the cops and the crooks. In order to stay ahead of the bad guys and stay alive, he’ll have to think fast and (of course) do a lot of fancy driving.
Produced by Joe Carnahan, Wheelman is a blast from start to finish. What makes it a change of pace from the typical crime thriller is the fact that it takes place almost exclusively inside of Grillo’s car. Aside from a few establishing shots from the rearview mirror or of the tires’ POV, the camera rarely leaves the vehicle. Writer/director Jeremy Rush does a good job ratcheting up the suspense and raising the stakes for Grillo’s character. What’s maybe even more impressive is the fact that the film maintains a sense of claustrophobia while still feeling cinematic. We’ve seen so many car chases in movies nowadays that when we see one entirely from behind the wheel of one of the cars, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
This is a perfect… ahem… vehicle for Grillo. He gives a no-nonsense and commanding performance, a real feat considering you only see him from the shoulders up for most of the running time. Very few actors could make a movie work using so little, but Grillo pulls it off effectively and assuredly.
At its heart, Wheelman is a gimmick movie, but it’s a pretty good gimmick. It keeps up the gimmick for a long time too, breaking form only briefly near the end. It was here where I feared it was going to become a more traditional picture, but luckily (SPOILER) the Wheelman was just changing cars! From there, it resumes the automobile-bound framework and continues to kick ass.
If it does have a fault, it’s that Wheelman (pardon the pun) never quite goes into fourth gear. Despite that, it remains a solidly entertaining flick throughout. If you still haven’t seen it, put the pedal to the metal and check it out.
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