Month: July 2022

Today’s quick review: Plastic. Sam (Ed Speleers), Fordy (Will Poulter), Yatesy (Alfie Allen), and Rafa (Sebastian de Souza) are university students who have made tens of thousands of dollars through blackmail, identity theft, and credit card fraud. But the party comes to an end when they accidentally steal from Marcel (Thomas Kretschmann), a hardened criminal who gives them just two weeks to steal another $2 million to pay off their debt.

Plastic is a crime drama that’s based on a true story. The movie follows Sam and his crew as they try to pull off their largest job yet: a $3.5 million spending spree in Miami using high-limit credit cards stolen by Frankie (Emma Rigby), the newest member of the group. Plastic features an interesting setup and decent follow-through, testing its characters’ ability to plan ahead, think big, and react to dangerous changing circumstances.

Plastic hits a sweet spot with its scope. Sam and the others are amateurs who make it big, just on the cusp of the flashy success seen in other crime dramas but without the bitterness or complacency that comes with it. This lets Plastic dip its toes in the glamor and danger of the criminal underworld without having to dive all the way in. The result is a movie with a mixture of levity and drama with just enough spectacle to keep the viewer hooked.

The other major point in Plastic’s favor is the dynamics between its characters. Unlike other crime movies, Sam’s crew is not just there for show. The relationships between the characters have an impact on the plan itself, from the power struggle between Sam and Yatesy to the group’s abuse of Frankie’s trust. The characters themselves are not groundbreaking or especially charming, but they fit the story well and their motivations actually matter.

All in all, Plastic is a modest entry into the heist genre that gets the fundamentals right. The acting, writing, and direction are not as polished as other crime movies, and the premise is not as grand, but Plastic does a good job of using the tools at its disposal to tell an interesting story. Those in the mood for a heist movie with a dash of drama should give it a shot. Keep looking if you’re looking for something truly mind-bending.

For a more stylish British crime movie with an elaborate plot, try Layer Cake, Snatch, or The Gentlemen. For a darker crime drama about criminals in over their heads, try Killing Them Softly or Cardboard Gangsters. For a more action-oriented movie about a criminal forced to complete an impossible job, try Gone in Sixty Seconds. For a true story about a con man and forger who lied his way to success, try Catch Me If You Can.

6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a clever plot and a few rough edges.

Today’s quick review: Confidence. Con man Jake Vig (Edward Burns) makes a dangerous mistake when he steals from the King (Dustin Hoffman), a powerful crime boss. To pay off his debt, Jake agrees to pull a con on Morgan Price (Robert Forster), a money launderer in charge of millions of dollars. Now Jake and his crew (Rachel Weisz, Paul Giamatti, and Brian Van Holt) must figure out a way to get the money and get away with their lives.

Confidence is a crime movie about a con man working on a risky con. The movie follows Jake and his accomplices as they try to clear their debt with King by doing what they do best. Confidence features a light tone, a solid supporting cast, and an interesting plot. Unlike other con movies, the focus is not on the scam itself, which is fairly basic, but rather the complexities surrounding it, as Jake works to stay one step ahead of his enemies.

Confidence gets the basics of the genre right, but it doesn’t hang together as well as it should. The plot logic is tenuous in a few places, and not all of the threads pay off in the end. The light tone generally works well, but the stakes are too low for the plot twists to have much meaning. Just a little bit more drama, a more personal motivation for Jake, or even just a shade more emotion from him would have tied the movie together nicely.

As it stands, Confidence makes for a decent pick, buoyed by a suitably elaborate plot and a charismatic performance by Dustin Hoffman. The movie makes a few mistakes with its plot and its main character, making it less rewarding than other con movies that work with similar tools, but it still gets enough right to provide some good entertainment for a viewer who’s looking for something light. Skip it if you are looking for a more dramatic con.

For a more stylish con movie starring Rachel Weisz, try The Brothers Bloom. For a con movie with similar scope, try Focus or Duplicity. For a similar setup with a raunchier tone, try Employee of the Month. For a heist movie with more ambition and better craftsmanship, try Ocean’s Eleven.

6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a generally well-constructed plot.

Today’s quick review: Heist. Desperate for a way to pay for his daughter’s cancer treatment, casino dealer Luke Vaughn (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) partners with Jason Cox (Dave Bautista), an erratic criminal, to steal $3 million from his casino. However, when the heist goes wrong, the thieves are forced to take a bus full of civilians hostage. Now Vaughn must improvise to stay ahead of both the police and Mr. Pope (Robert De Niro), the owner of the casino.

Heist is a budget action movie about a casino robbery that turns into a hostage standoff on a commuter bus. Jeffrey Dean Morgan stars as Luke Vaughn, a good man forced into a dangerous situation to save his daughter’s life. His clever attempts to negotiate with Officer Bauhaus (Gina Carano), keep Cox from doing anything rash, and avoid Pope’s lackeys are the backbone of the movie. However, otherwise lackluster execution keeps Heist from standing out.

Heist suffers from the same problems as other budget action movies. Most of the acting is stiff and unconvincing. The stunts are nothing special. The dialogue has a few rough spots, and the plot does not hang together as tightly as it should. Still, Jeffrey Dean Morgan makes for a likable, resourceful protagonist as Vaughn, while Robert De Niro lends a touch of thematic depth as Pope, an aging crime boss who begins to regret his life choices.

Heist has flickers of potential that other budget movies usually lack, but its overall execution still falls short of the mark. Forgiving viewers will find it to be a modest but effective story about a criminal trying to think his way out of a tight spot. More critical viewers will find it outclassed by movies that use similar ideas with a defter touch.

For a tense action thriller set on a bus, try Speed. For a more elaborate film about a hostage standoff, try Inside Man. For one with more heart, try Dog Day Afternoon. For a casino robbery with a better plot and more style, try Ocean’s Eleven or Ocean’s Thirteen.

6.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for a decent plot and a pair of good performances held back by otherwise mediocre execution.

Today’s quick review: Sleepless. When Las Vegas detective Vincent Downs (Jamie Foxx) and his partner Sean Cass (Tip “T.I.” Harris) steal 25 kilos of cocaine from casino manager Stanley Rubino (Dermot Mulroney), Rubino retaliates by kidnapping Vincent’s son Thomas (Octavius J. Johnson). Vincent tries to return the stolen drugs, but he runs into more trouble when Internal Affairs officer Jennifer Bryant (Michelle Monaghan) follows him to the casino.

Sleepless is an action movie about a police officer trying to save his son from a dangerous criminal. The bulk of the action takes place at the Luxus Casino, where Downs runs into Bryant, her partner Doug Dennison (David Harbour), and Rubino’s buyer Rob Novak (Scoot McNairy) while trying to swap the drugs for his son. The movie’s elaborate setup and decent action scenes are hampered by a script that does a clumsy job of moving its pieces into place.

Sleepless makes for decent action fodder. There are only a couple of big-ticket stunts, but Vincent’s one-on-one fights throughout the casino do a good job of keeping the adrenaline up. The plot also has potential: a tangled web of unlucky breaks, police corruption, and Internal Affairs investigations that keeps all the major characters on their toes. Sleepless does not bring anything too special to the table, but it gets the basics right.

Where Sleepless runs into problems is with its plot progression. The components of the story—a drug deal gone wrong, a kidnapping, an Internal Affairs investigation—all work well on paper, but the way they play out leaves something to be desired. The developments the movie uses to raise the stakes are blunt, many of the twists are predictable, and key moments of the plot depend on either contrived coincidences or major mistakes by the characters.

The result is a passable action movie with a few good ideas, some notable flaws, and nothing truly special to offer. Fans of the action genre looking for something chaotic and reasonably entertaining should give Sleepless a shot. Viewers looking for a movie with stronger stunts or a more cerebral plot will want to look elsewhere.

For a crime drama with an elaborate plot and better execution, try The Departed, The Way of the Gun, or Insomnia. For a more compelling action thriller about a kidnapped teenager, try Taken.

5.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for a promising setup with mixed execution.

Today’s quick review: Triple Frontier. After three years of hunting, Santiago (Oscar Isaac) has finally tracked an elusive South American drug lord to his house in the jungle. With the help of four close friends (Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal), Santiago plans a mission to kill the drug lord and escape with millions in cash. But when the team finds more money than they expected, they are left with a difficult choice.

Triple Frontier is an action thriller about a group of retired soldiers on an illegal mission to steal millions of dollars from a drug kingpin. Santiago and his friends must not only pull off thier raid but get away with their ill-gotten fortune. Triple Frontier has an interesting story that poses some tough challenges for its main characters. It can’t match the best the genre has to offer, but solid craftsmanship and novel ideas make it a wothy pick.

The highlight of Triple Frontier is seeing its characters adapt to changing circumstances. Santiago and his crew are skilled soldiers with a great group dynamic and a professional attitude toward their work. But the discovery of millions of dollars of extra cash throws off their timetable and forces them to choose between risking death and leaving behind a fortune. The consequence of their choice has repercussions that drive the second half of the film.

Beyond this setup, Triple Frontier is a conventional but capably handled action movie. The action scenes tend towards tight tactics and stealth over raw spectacle. The characters are not moral paragons, but they do have more integrity than the thieves seen in similar films. In general, Triple Frontier opts for safe choices that are not groundbreaking. There are no major weaknesses, but it lacks the vision and impact of some other action flicks.

Give Triple Frontier a shot when you’re in the mood for a more serious action movie. Although it is not as daring as it could be, its craftsmanship is solid, and the plot forces its characters to make some interesting choices. Steer clear if you’re looking for something flashy or carefree.

For another action movie about a team of elite soldiers who strike off on their own, try The Expendables or The A-Team. For a more mundane drama about the corrupting influence of money, check out The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for an interesting plot and decent action.

Today’s quick review: Den of Thieves. When Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber) and his crew steal an armored truck with nothing in it, Los Angeles detective Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler) wants to know why. His best lead is Donnie Wilson (O’Shea Jackson, Jr.), a small-time criminal associated with Merrimen. But even with Wilson’s help, O’Brien remains in the dark about Merrimen’s true plan: a brazen daylight robbery of the Los Angeles Federal Reserve.

Den of Thieves is a crime drama about a plan to steal $30 million from the Federal Reserve. The movie pits Nick O’Brien, a violent and impulsive cop, against Ray Merrimen, an ex-Marine with a track record of successful bank robberies. With each man aware of the other, the robbery turns into a battle of wits between two cunning men. The result is a fairly typical crime movie that makes a name for itself with an unusually well-crafted plot.

Den of Thieves takes what easily could have been an ordinary bank robbery and builds it up into something more. Merrimen’s plan has several stages, each one a clever extension of the last. The audience has most of the information needed to figure out his plan, but the last few revelations are enough to make the ending a surprise. As such, Den of Thieves has strong material for its plot, with a good sense of progression and a couple of sharp twists.

Still, Den of Thieves misses the chance to go farther with its characters. O’Brien and Merrimen work well in the context of the story, but they are not as vivid or as memorable as those found in similar movies. O’Brien is a hothead who’s only a step behind Merrimen for most of the movie, while Merrimen makes for an unusually calm and disciplined antagonist. Their conflict is structured well but not as emotionally resonant as it could have been.

Den of Thieves makes for a solid pick for any fan of the crime genre. The strength of its plot is enough to hold the viewer’s interest from start to finish, and while the characters are not as memorable as the best the genre has to offer, they do carry their weight. Give it a watch if you’re at all interested in the premise.

For a crime drama with a similar premise and a greater emphasis on its characters, try Heat. For an elaborate bank robbery with an extra twist, check out Inside Man. For an action movie centered around a similarly ambitious robbery, try Die Hard with a Vengeance or The Hurricane Heist. For another cat-and-mouse crime thriller starring Gerard Butler, try Law Abiding Citizen.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for a well-constructed plot and solid overall execution.

Today’s quick review: Sicario: Day of the Soldado. To pave the way for an American war against the Mexican drug cartels, Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), one of his most dangerous operatives, arrange the kidnapping of Isabel Reyes (Isabela Moner), the daughter of a cartel kingpin. The kidnapping sows the chaos they were hoping for, but their plan goes awry when their attempt to return Isabel to Mexico meets with an ambush.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a gritty crime thriller about the US government’s clandestine war with the Mexican drug cartels. Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro reprise their roles as ruthless government operatives willing to work outside the law to get the job done. Day of the Soldado benefits from two strong performances and the same powerful subject matter as the original Sicario. However, the movie’s storytelling decisions rob it of some impact.

Day of the Soldado retains the bleak tone and moral ambiguity of the original. Matt and Alejandro live in a world where there are no rules, only the bounds of what is politically expedient. Their aggressive approach to handling the drug cartels is the defining feature of the movie, shaping both the mechanics of the plot and the morality of the characters. The result is a tense story where actions can have unpredictable consequences.

Still, Day of the Soldado is missing the deft touch that made the original so effective. Without an idealist to provide another moral perspective, the cold-blooded pragmatism of Matt and Alejandro loses much of its impact. The plot is another weak point. In spite of a strong premise—a US-instigated drug war to justify further intervention in Mexico—the story quickly gets lost in the weeds, eventually culminating in a limp, inconclusive finale.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado will appeal to fans of the violent side of the crime genre. Its brutal depiction of the War on Drugs stands in sharp contrast with the romanticized version seen in some action movies, while its flurries of violence give it a sense of tension that other realistic crime movies lack. But in spite of its strengths, the combination of a weaker setup and a lackluster finish make it a clear step down from the first film.

For a more refined, haunting take on the same characters, try the original Sicario. For an even more expansive portrait of the drug trade, try Traffic. For a bleak superhero drama done in a similar style, try Logan.

7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for strong characters, a promising setup, and mixed follow-through.

Today’s quick review: Patriots Day. On April 15, 2013, Boston police officer Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg) is working security at the finish line of the Boston Marathon when a pair of bombs go off, killing three and injuring hundreds. In the chaos that follows, Saunders and the local police work with FBI Special Agent Rick DesLauriers (Kevin Bacon) in the hunt for Tamerlan (Themo Melikidze) and Dzhokhar (Alex Wolff) Tsarnaev, the suspected bombers.

Patriots Day is a crime drama based on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The movie shows the bombing and the ensuing manhunt through the eyes of Boston residents and law enforcement officers. Mark Wahlberg ties the story together as Tommy Saunders, a fictional police officer who is witness to some of the most crucial parts of the investigation. The movie’s respectful treatment of its subject matter makes it a fine watch, but it lacks some depth.

Patriots Day has a reverential tone from start to finish. It emphasizes the resilience of the bombing victims, the diligence of the law enforcement officers conducting the investigation, and the spirit of Boston following the attack. The mechanics of the investigation are interesting, a glimpse at the many details needed to respond to a crisis. Mark Wahlberg also delivers a couple of impassioned monologues that help to give the movie its heart.

However, the movie’s reverential tone comes at the expense of some of the tension found in similar films. There is no larger conspiracy to unfold, and while there is a race against the clock, the diffuse nature of the manhunt makes it more of a waiting game. Even the personal stories of the victims are only touched on briefly. The result is a movie that does justice to its source material but does not add any extra surprises or insight.

Like other dramas based on real life, how much you get out of Patriots Day will depend on your taste in storytelling. The movie’s capable treatment of its subject matter and Mark Wahlberg’s performance make it a fine pick for anyone interested in the story it has to tell. However, its one-note tone and largely factual plot will limit its appeal to viewers who are used to more narrative-based dramas.

For a more thrilling true story about a terror investigation, check out Zero Dark Thirty. For an action thriller about the aftermath of a terror attack, check out Vantage Point.

7.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for solid execution.

“Let’s go fight crime or something.” —Officer Taylor

Today’s quick review: End of Watch. Officers Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) of the LAPD are assigned to patrol one of the most dangerous areas of Los Angeles. Their friendship with each other makes them an effective team, while their courage under pressure helps them deal with the messy situations the job throws their way. But the two men end up in the crosshairs when they interfere with the operations of a drug cartel.

End of Watch is a crime drama about the daily lives of two LAPD officers. The movie follows Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala through the highs and lows of their job. Their long days of chatting and joking together are punctuated by bursts of violence as they are called to deal with the worst Los Angeles has to offer. The richness of the characters and the variety of situations they have to handle are enough to make End of Watch a compelling watch.

End of Watch gets a lot of mileage out of its leads. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena are perfectly matched, playing a pair of affable cops who are hard not to like. The idle conversations between them are always a pleasure to watch, and their friendship is the foundation on which the rest of the movie is built. It also servers as the perfect balance to the film’s darker moments, driving home just what the officers are putting on the line every day.

End of Watch is a movie with a lot to offer. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena do an excellent job with their roles, while the slice-of-life story is an unusually grounded depiction of police work. End of Watch does have a heavy tone in a few places, and its violence, swearing, and sense of danger may be too much for some viewers. But those willing to give it a shot will find it to be a rich and rewarding pick.

For a more fanciful action movie about a pair of cops, try Bad Boys and its sequels. For an urban fantasy police drama from the same director, try Bright. For a dark comedy starring Michael Pena as a corrupt cop, try War on Everyone.

7.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for a pair of excellent leads.

Today’s quick review: Shot Caller. Jacob “Money” Harlon (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) was a banker and a family man until a decade in prison changed him into a ruthless gang member. Just released from prison, Harlon helps Shotgun (Jon Bernthal) arrange a weapons deal on behalf of The Beast (Holt McCallany). But as the deal comes together, Ed Kutcher (Omari Hardwick), Harlon’s parole officer, begins to suspect that Harlon has ulterior motives.

Shot Caller is a crime drama about a family man who becomes a gang member to survive his time in prison, alienating him from his wife Kate (Lake Bell) and son Joshua (Jonathon McClendon). The movie splits its time between the present, when a hardened Harlon does whatever it takes to make sure a gun deal does off without a hitch, and the past, as Harlon gradually sacrifices his humanity to the gang that offers him protection.

Shot Caller’s greatest strength is the mystery of what Harlon has planned. On the surface, he makes for an efficient gang member, enforcing discipline among his men and taking steps to keep the police off his trail. But in spite of his outward loyalty, there are hints that he is playing his own game. The mystery is not as cerebral or as compelling as other crime dramas, but the payoff is solid and ties into the question of who Harlon has become.

Still, Shot Caller misses opportunities to take its story farther. The movie takes pains not to tip its hand too early, resulting in a mystery that is too circumspect for its own good. Rather than the strong plot hooks of other crime dramas, Shot Caller relies on personal drama and indirect clues to keep the viewer engaged. The result is a movie with good ideas and a multifaceted main character, but one that’s short on direct impact.

Shot Caller is a fine pick for fans of the crime genre, carving out a place for itself with its capable character work and effective mystery. The movie brings something new to the table with its main character and the changes he undergoes. Even so, Shot Caller has a few issues holding it back. How much you get out of it will depend on your taste in storytelling. Give it a shot if you are interested in an indirect, personal story.

For a more emotionally potent crime drama about a man losing himself to his criminal lifestyle, try Donnie Brasco. For a similar moral struggle with a more grandiose plot, try The Godfather. For a crime drama about an ex-convict trying to go clean, try Carlito’s Way.

7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a solid character arc.