Post by StevePulaski on May 4, 2013 16:25:24 GMT -5
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, and Anthony Mackie.
Rating: ★★★
You know a "based on a true story" film is more deranged than fiction when more than halfway through the picture it needs to remind you that it is still a true story. That's the case with Michael Bay's latest film, Pain & Gain, a breathlessly entertaining work of forceful energy that hits the ground running and backs so much fun, excitement, and enthusiasm in such a short amount of time. It's one of the dumbest movie experiences I've had in several years, but it's also one of the most fun.
I am very aware I'm talking about a Michael Bay film, and remarks I've made about him in the past aren't of very high quality. To quote my review of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, I blatantly state, "Director Michael Bay has spent most of his directing years to making and producing horrible remarks and lackluster franchise re-imaginings. Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the poster child for why he shouldn't be in film, and why action films are quickly spiraling down to an all time low. The problem with Bay is he isn't creative or willing to pursue his own personal idea. The problem with this is the fact it suffers from no straight forward narrative, and relies on drawn out, cliche action scenes that, while well-crafted, go on for way too long of a time span." Well, now I can eat my words and say that Bay has pursued one of his own creative ideas. Rather than dragging a potential-ridden franchise down to the tubes, he has taken the crime story of the decade that was collectively swept under the rug. So swept under the rug that I anticipate a resurgence of news articles written about the issue due to viewers' curiosity levels being peaked.
The crime-story was that two bodybuilders and trainers (and one ex-convict) at the Miami gym called "Sun Gym" decided to kidnap and torture one of their wealthy gym customers into signing away his home and assets to the three of them. Does it sound idiotic and listless? Because that's exactly what it was. I was weary of how Bay would approach this material, as it seems to be one long, overextended joke about something that legitimately isn't funny, seeing as how the real crime resulted in at least two deaths. But while Bay (and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely) is obviously going for the glamorous Hollywood dramatization, he doesn't shy away from showing just how senseless and stupid these characters are.
The bodybuilders are Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie), with the third bodybuilder/ex-con being Paul Doyle (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson). Johnson's character is arguably given the most depth and range to work with, finally coming to terms with sobriety and exercising a Christian faith, while still being caught up in the right/wrong dilemma so many struggle with. Doyle is one of the most interesting characters, even as a downfall becomes apparent and his mind becomes foggier.
Lugo and Doorbal are just plain meatheads; idiotic men with a bold exterior and a shallow interior. Wahlberg and Mackie (probably one of the best "that guy" actors today), however, are sure to give them enough energy and charisma to work off of, and Shaloub gives a wonderful performance as Victor Kershaw, the wealthy victim in question. Supporting performances by Rebel Wilson, as Doorbal's new wife, Ed Harris as a private-investigator hired by Kershaw when Lugo's plans to kill him go awry, and Rob Corddry as another man helping the bodybuilders are nicely played, as well.
The film works in large part because of its nice combination between controlled action and the blackest of comedy. There is a hilarious scene in a hospital, involving bedside interrogation between Kershaw and a police-officer, along with an overweight patient. It's one of the funniest scenes I've seen this year in film, for its quick-witted humor and downright cockamamie setup.
The final thirty minutes of the film is so excessive and takes such a brutal turn as events escalate, mishaps become more prominent and dangerous, and small little instances of rage turn into big ones with lethal consequences. This is the part of the film I like the most. Markus, McFeely, and Bay work together seamlessly to construct a breakneck climax that leaves you dizzied, breathless, and shaken from all the chaos that just unfolded. Pain & Gain, like its three lead characters, may not be the sharpest tool in the box, but it's fun to watch and simply intoxicating in its perplexing amusement, also like its three lead characters.
NOTE: My video review of Pain & Gain, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pfAVhCRJw0
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shaloub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, and Rebel Wilson. Directed by: Michael Bay.