Title: Pain and Gain (2013)
Director: Michael Bay
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony
Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Ken Jeong, Peter Stormare
Review:
After Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2013) came out, action director extraordinaire Michael
Bay said he’d leave the Transformers franchise alone because he wanted to try
and make a “smaller budget film” (which in Bay’s world means 25 million
dollars) called Pain and Gain; the story of three crazy bodybuilders from
Florida who decide to kidnap a millionaire, torture him, make him sign over his
fortune to them, then they’d kill him and take over his life. Unfortunately
that’s all easier said than done because this millionaire is one tough cookie
who just won’t die! Interesting part about this story is that it happened for
real! How true to life did the film turn out to be? And is it any good?
Pain and Gain is a film that garnered some controversy
because people (including victims involved in the crime) didn’t like the idea
that these criminals were going to be glorified somehow, they didn’t like the
idea that audiences were possibly going to sympathize with the criminals;
unfortunately, those comments are completely without merit because we don’t
side with the criminals in the film. These guys are despicable and we’re not
meant to like them. True, they are funny dudes, because Wahlberg, Johnson and
Mackie play them that way, and this is after all a black comedy, but even
though they make us laugh with the craziness of the situations, we’re not meant
to empathize with them, so you can throw those concerns out the window. These
characters are not the heroes of the film, they are the villains. Pain and Gain
is for all intents and purposes a morality tale. Like a Tales from the Crypt
episode, the bad guys always pay in the end; in the end the film shows the age
old idea that crime does not pay and that there is no short cut to the American
Dream.
Even though this is a departure of sorts for Michael Bay who
normally works with movies that cost over 200 million dollars, Pain and Gain is
still very much a Michael Bay film. Keeping true to his style, there’s lots of
color, there’s lots of cool cars, sunsets, scantily clad hotties, I mean,
everything you’ve come to expect from Michael Bay. One thing is missing though:
explosions, this is the one Michael Bay where there isn’t an explosion every
five minutes, so Mr. Bay, I salute you for stretching your directorial muscles
even for a bit. But same as every other Michael Bay movie, characters talk at
lightning fast pace, I was going to say “as if they were coked up most of the
time” but they are coked up…all the time! The chemistry between Wahlberg,
Dwayne Johnson and Mackie is awesome; they truly are what keeps us watching the
film. Here’s a Michael Bay film that doesn’t keep us interested via visual
effects or action, what keeps us watching is the insane situations and the
funny dialog, these three muscle bound criminals are so stupid! At one moment
while they are planning a murder Wahlberg’s character says “I’ve watched a lot
of movies, I know what I’m doing!”
Credit has to be given to Tony Shalhoub, a guy who normally
plays quiet, introspective characters, yet on this show he plays against type,
the rich, loud butt hole whom everybody hates. I thought it was interesting how
he plays “the victim” but at the same time he is a completely despicable guy.
Funny thing about Shalhoub’s character is that he was a low life in real life
as well! After he helped catch the “the Sun Gym Gang” he himself was also prosecuted
for committing fraud and embezzling money, though this part of the story isn’t
touched upon in the film. Speaking of changes from life to screen, Of course,
there were some changes, primarily with the character played by Dwayne Johnson.
In real life, Johnson’s character was a wimpy looking dude, not a body builder
at all. But these types of changes are to be expected, directors love to jump
at the chance to make their film more dramatic, or more action oriented,
bigger, louder, especially in a Michael Bay film. This is why Bay, seeing the opportunity
with the always ultra charismatic Dwayne Johnson, turned his character into a
300 pound crank freak. But so what, in the end, this film is a hyperbole, an
exaggeration and a very entertaining one. So mission accomplished in my book; I
was laughing all the way. And just when you think the story can’t get crazy
enough, Dwayne Johnson starts a bbq with human parts, the film freeze frames
and a text comes up on screen saying “this story is still based on real life
events”. And then it slaps you in the face, crazy people like the ones depicted
in Pain and Gain could be your personal trainers at the gym, or your barbers, so
think it over before telling anybody your personal affairs, they could be
plotting to overtake your empire.
Rating: 4 out of 5
4 comments:
I've been hearing a LOT of praise for this, and am now keen to see it for myself.
People might be prejudiced towards it because its a Michael Bay film and he's known for making films like Transformers 2 and Armageddon, ultra big budget fx spectacles, but this one is different, it is still loud and fast and colorful, but isn't focused on effects or meteors falling from the skies, its more focused on the craziness of the situations and the chemistry between the characters. I found it very entertaining, hope you enjoy it!
Hadn't considering seeing this until your review Franco. Will have to give it a chance.
Just watched Bad Boys 1/2 the other day and it reminded me how much I prefer Bay when he isn't doing films like Transformers / Pearl Harbour or Armageddon.
Hey, the filmed part of Bad Boys II in my island of Puerto Rico, it's that scene where two jeeps are going down a hill or something...can't remember it well, I haven't seen it in so long.
Bay should dedicate himself to making more straight forward action films then sci-fi films...he's better at those I think...though I actually love The Island!
Post a Comment