One of the more low-key entries in December’s page of the 2023 movie release schedule was director Philip Noyce’s neo-noir thriller, Fast Charlie. The Pierce Brosnan-led crime caper received a groundswell of critical praise upon its debut and is also notable for being the final film appearance of the late James Caan. Reflecting on the process of making the picture, both Noyce and Brosnan shared their most treasured memories of working with The Godfather veteran while speaking with CinemaBlend, and both stories are quite sweet.
How James Caan’s "Giddy Enthusiasm” Stunned Fast Charlie Director Phillip Noyce
It was in 2022 that James Caan passed at 82, and that led to a well earned outpouring of memories shared by Adam Sander and other co-stars who worked with the legend. Both Phillip Noyce and Pierce Brosnan recently added to that tapestry of happy remembrance, as I was able to speak with both men on behalf of Fast Charlie’s press day. In the case of Noyce’s recollection of working with Caan, the Australian director told CinemaBlend the following story:
I think the best memory was the total memory. In person, I met him the day before we started shooting, when we were choosing his wardrobe. And I was stunned by his giddy enthusiasm. He was so excited to be back in the saddle, he hadn’t shot for more than a year. Later we would find out that he had not been well, and of course he had passed about eight or nine weeks later, after he’d finished shooting. But he was just so glad to be there. That spirit, that amazing spirit was what I remember most.
Given this was a shooting schedule that clocked in at a fast and furious 25 days, the director's experiences with James Caan more than likely didn’t take up too much of that time. Caan’s portrayal of crime boss Stan Mullen is scattered throughout Fast Charlie, as we see how the mentor and friend to “Fast” Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan) ties into the happenings that take place throughout the picture.
Every time Stan appears on screen, the Misery icon’s magnetic personality shines. An early moment in the film sees a conversation between Charlie and his boss, leading to a perfectly profane write-off of a would-be competitor. Delivering those lines with the attitude you’d expect from the man himself, Caan is as fiery and likable as ever.
However, there’s also a bit of tenderness to the film's southern crime kingpin. It’s here that Phillip Noyce took a moment to discuss how he felt James Caan’s physical condition may have truly informed his performance. Sharing more remarks with CB, Noyce shared these thoughts:
...when I look back on it now, and I see the ailing character that he portrays, it makes me think ‘I wonder if he’s drawing on his own feelings of impending death?’ I don’t know, I suspect maybe he was; because even without knowing what happened nine weeks later, there’s a real poignancy that he brings to that character. Which was nothing like the guy off screen, he wasn’t physically drawing from the travails that he was going through. But I think emotionally, perhaps he was.
This connection was also noticed by Pierce Brosnan, as his role as James Caan’s scene partner gave him a similarly unique window into his co-star. In recalling his memories of James Caan, the former face of the James Bond movies also had no shortage of love to spare for the late titan of acting.
Pierce Brosnan Discusses His "Poignant, Wonderful" Experience With James Caan
CinemaBlend was very fortunate to speak with Pierce Brosnan, the man who literally embodies the titular anti-hero known as Fast Charlie. Participating in a phone interview with the actor was an absolute treat, as his care-free nature contributed to a loose and easy conversation. When I asked him about his own memories of shooting the film with James Caan, Brosnan was nothing but gracious, sharing the story you can read below:
I have spoken for the last couple of hours about James Caan. Actually, I could speak a few more hours about James Caan. It was one of the most poignant, wonderful days/moments of my career. To be with Jimmy Caan, to be with the man who had a passion for acting, a passion for performance, and such a charisma of being Jimmy Caan, but also being the character of Stan Mullen, of giving a performance. The character was always adapted as ailing, Jimmy was holding onto life with every ounce and every breath of the day. It was, and is, magnificently there to be seen in Fast Charlie. I had a wonderful week with Jimmy Caan, and we became good pals, and I learned a lot in that one week. Yeah, God bless, love the man. And I think everybody will love Jimmy Caan when they see Fast Charlie.
Coming in at the tail end of a long press day, my chat with Pierce Brosnan couldn’t have offered a kinder tale of talented actors knowing the person they’re working up against. With reflections from both Brosnan and Phillip Noyce bringing in the subject of James Caan’s ill health, the fact that he’d passed only weeks after completing the film carries a bit more bittersweet weight. Thankfully, the sweeter portion comes from these Fast Charlie collaborators memorializing Caan’s performance and making note of what it added to the overall formula.
It’s been a good year for Pierce Brosnan’s collaborative energy, as 2023 also saw his performance in Netflix’s critically divisive film The Out-Laws paired the actor with the likes of Ellen Barkin and Adam DeVine. No matter where people land on projects such as these, you can count on stars like Brosnan and James Caan to show up ready for action. It's still somewhat hard to believe that Caan is no longer with us, but his memory will surely live on, especially if his cohorts continue to share such lovely anecdotes about him.
With Fast Charlie now available, both in theaters and on-demand, audiences can see the slick and well-tuned production for themselves. Thanks to legends like Caan giving it their all, it’s a massively entertaining movie and a fitting send-off for the man some knew as Jimmy. To be able to achieve both of those aims is nothing short of movie magic.
