In 1970s Boston a group of IRA gunrunners are planning to buy several cases of automatic rifles. The deal has been arranged and buys and sellers come together in a disused factory. Tensions are high and it isn't helped by the fact that the rifles aren't of the type expected. Things only get worse when it emerges that one member of each side had got into a fight the night before... it soon resumes and it is only a matter of time before the bullets begin to fly. Members of both sides take hits... then a third party starts shooting at both sides!

This film gets off to a good start as we are introduced to the various characters and watch their deal get underway. This gently raises the tension and provides a good number of laughs. Then the action gets started because of something relatively minor and for the rest of the film the tension is very high. Characters crawl about trying to avoid the flying bullets and just about everybody gets injured. The arrival of the 'third party shooters' adds a sense of mystery as viewers and characters alike wonder who they are working for. Most films of this type feature lots of characters who die as soon as they are shot but here just about everybody gets injured, to the extent that they can barely stand, but few die until we reach the conclusion. Some of these deaths are quite unpleasant. The cast is impressive; most obviously Sharlto Copley as arms seller Vernon; Brie Larson as go-between Justine; Armie Hammer as Ord and Cillian Murphy as IRA man Chris. Overall I'd say this won't be for everybody but I rather enjoyed it.

Don't get me wrong, with the general score you can see that this movie is dividing people. And this is obviously not for everyone. The cursing, the gun violence. Or just the plain fact that this plays out in one location. But there we also have the one great thing about it. This is the blueprint for everyone who thinks about doing a thriller/action movie playing in one location.

Watch this on how to make it interesting, how to play out your characters and how to write dialog. You may not like things depicted or think anything good about the characters in the movie, but you can't fault the director of how he's doing, shooting, making this movie work. It's really amazing to be on this thrill ride, that once it starts, does not seem to stop. And it does not get boring for a second, with new ideas and some nice turns and twists along the way ... It may spoil other low budget movies for you, but don't let that stop you from watching it

FREE FIRE is another disappointing effort from British director Ben Wheatley, following on from HIGH RISE. This is his version of RESERVOIR DOGS, with a bunch of rival characters holding up in a ruined warehouse when an arms deal turns sour and vendettas turn deadly. Wheatley's films always look good and you can't fault the photography, but the problem - as ever - lies in his wife Amy Jump's script. It fails to develop characters properly, and as such there's no kind of suspense or realism here at all.

What you get are characters indulging in an improbably long shoot-out which takes up almost all of the running time. When you see that Brie Larson is randomly present in the story you can guess the oh-so-obvious twist ending from the outset. There's a lot of violence but very little death for the most part, with everyone being shot multiple times but failing to die, somehow. The last half an hour is better but still only average. The best thing about the film are some well-judged and funny performances from old reliables like Armie Hammer, Sharlto Copley, Michael Smiley, and Cillian Murphy.