Pierce Brosnanand the late, greatJames Cannbonded like “a father and a son” while filming this year’s action thrillerFast Charlie, according to director Phillip Noyce. In anexclusive interview with MovieWeb, Noyce was asked about Caan’s final performance inFast Charlie, with the actor sadly passing away last July at the age of 82. Noyce offered some insight into what it was like working with such a legendary actor.
“Jimmy came to the project quite late. He started, I think, the second or third week. I went in on the Sunday before he started shooting to go over his costumes with him. It was like spending time with a little kid. He was giddy with excitement because he was back in the saddle. He hadn’t worked on a movie for more than a year. Once he started shooting, he was completely different when the camera ran. His energy wouldn’t go down. You couldn’t help but worry about the guy in real life. I’d say cut, and suddenly the kid would come back.”
Noyce revealed how much Caan and his co-star,James Bondactor Pierce Brosnan, bonded on set, with the filmmaker even wondering whether the late actor drew on feelings related tohis private health issues.
“He passed nine weeks later. He may well have been drawing on feelings related to what he was going through. He certainly kept all that hidden from us. The relationship between him and Pierce was like a father and a son. Pierce, he’s a very sensitive guy. I think that he probably intuitively felt what was going on under the surface for James. James had a wheelchair as a prop, but Pierce was wheeling him all around the set and sort of looking after him. Pierce has an enormous respect for James. So the on-screen and off-screen relationship started to merge.”
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Fast Charlie Has a Rating of 83% On Rotten Tomatoes
Fast Charlie
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Since being released earlier this month,Fast Charliehas been well-received by both critics and audiences alike, and now stands at 83% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
MovieWeb’s own Julian Roman found much to enjoy inFast Charlie, praising the “solid action, good cast chemistry, and enough macabre chuckles” as well as declaring that “Noyce is an action master and hasn’t lost a step.”
Fast Charliefollows Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan), aka “Fast Charlie,” a fixer with a problem: the target he’s whacked is missing his head. And he must prove it’s the intended target to the man who paid for the hit – New Orleans' most prominent and most ruthless mobster, Beggar Mercado (Gbenga Akinnagbe).
Charlie enlists Marcie Kramer (Morena Baccarin), the victim’s ex-wife and a woman with the backbone and skillset Charlie needs. Along the way, Charlie and Marcie fight to protect the legacy of Charlie’s best friend and mentor, Stan Mullen (James Caan in his final performance), while bringing down Beggar and his entire operation.
Fast Charliewas released in select theaters and video on demand on June 12, 2025, by Vertical Entertainment. Check out the trailer below:
