Wheelman

"Wheelman" begins with long, slow, calculated shots of a car being delivered to our protagonist (Frank Grillo), known only by the playful moniker that's mirrored in both the film's title. A stretched conversation between the delivery man and the wheelman is statically captured through the car's front windshield, muffled and at times incomprehensible, but it's all just buildup to the big "boom" moment. The frame remains still as a ghost while Grillo walks over, gets into the car, wraps his fingers around the steering wheel -- we're being teased at this point.

Then, like a punch to the gut, the ignition roars and the editing leaps to life. See the swift shift of the transmission, then the sharp turn of the corner. Hear the growing rumble of an accelerating engine. As the wheelman screeches the vehicle to a halt, feel the satisfaction on both Grillo's smirking face and your own. His, because he knows this car is being handled by a pro. Us, because we know we're in great hands as well.

The feature debut of writer/director Jeremy Rush is confident, cool-as-ice cinema that excites and energizes with its visual dexterity and captivating story, as self-assured an action filmmaking debut as George Miller's "Mad Max" or Robert Rodriguez's "El Mariachi." The dynamism of "Wheelman" becomes more impressive when you consider that most of the filmmaking occurs within the confines of a car, in which our title character races around the city following a botched robbery job, swapping Bluetooth calls between his partners, an unknown adversary, his ex-wife and his 13-year-old daughter. It reminded me at many times of "Locke," the 2013 Steven Knight film where Tom Hardy had lengthy, dramatic conversations on speaker phone while driving, but with the style of "Drive," the energy of "Crank" and the overall knee-slapping pleasures of something like Edgar Wright's "Baby Driver" (an ingredient for a fine 2017 double feature, if you ask me).

The powertrain on this film is a turbocharged dynamo that deftly weaves from tense, claustrophobic conversations to higher concept set pieces, and there's even a moment of surprising gut-busting laughter. We're constantly kept on our toes, and Grillo invigorates the film with a scorching performance that defiantly distinguishes him from being just that guy you recognize from the "Captain America" movies. I've always felt Grillo was a severely underused talent, with great turns in films like "The Grey," "Warrior," and (though I disliked the film) "The Purge: Anarchy."

"Wheelman" is Grillo's center stage in the form of a driver's seat, and he seizes every moment. Rush does as well, solidifying a spot on my radar of debut filmmakers to watch. Oh, and national treasure character actor Shea Whigham plays a mohawked character credited only as "Motherfucker." If that's not enough to entice you, perhaps "Wheelman" just isn't the film for you.