Big Screen Peter: Takers

Editor’s note: Peter Lewis has agreed to use whatever it is you call his writing style to provide some measure of analysis to those folks who still go to a theater to see a movie.  Next week, Peter will review “The American” starring George Clooney.

review by Peter Lewis

“A man has got to have a code” – Bunk Moreland, The Wire

In the early portions of The Takers, we find that the eponymous takers do have a code.  Of course, similar to just about every other heist film ever created, they subsequently disregard that code in the name of, well greed, I suppose. They’re Takers after all, it’s what they do, Idris Elba reminds us.

One would think that with the litany of precursors, even Hollywood thieves would wise up to the siren song of sweet sweet specie. But if they did, we’d be stuck with much fewer heist films. And that’s not really a life we want, right?

Despite the somewhat obvious nature of the plot, Takers was an exciting and enjoyable film. The story centers around the aforementioned Idris Elba playing Gordon Jennings, point man for a group of crackerjack criminals bound by that ever present criminal code of conduct. Namely, it states that they keep a low profile, always wait at least a year between their jobs and they plan everything to a T, taking no chances.

This code is tossed aside when Ghost (Tip “T.I.” Harris), a former partner, is released from jail and comes straight to the gang with a can’t miss plan to snatch upwards of $30 million. Despite the dubiousness of the grand scheme, the gang decides it’s can’t miss and partner up with their erstwhile colleague, Ghost.

I was pleasantly surprised by TI’s turn as Ghost. Prior to this film, his acting oeuvre has been rather limited. And to be honest, from time to time his delivery plainly illustrated that inexperience, but overall I thought he acquitted himself quite well. He certainly displayed a knack for inhabiting the skin of a murky and potentially villainous role. He has a sneer that could set sail a thousand ships.

Running concurrently with this storyline is the police perspective. Matt Dillon does his turn as the affecting, workaholic cop quite admirably. He has family issues (don’t they always?) and a penchant for booze, apparently. Playing the earnest and well-meaning partner is Jay Hernandez. They are a good fit for one another and pull of their respective cookie-cutter roles quite well. Which, I suppose, is a testament to them both in a backhanded sort of way.

While Welles (Dillon) and Hatcher (Hernandez) do their best at the blue-collar cop thing, Jennings and his crew are slick, thoughtful folks with impeccable taste. John Rahway (Paul Walker) appreciates fine Scotch. The ironically named Attica brothers, Jesse (Chris Brown) and Jake (Michael Ealy) run a well-appointed night spot in there “free” time. A.J. ( Hayden Christensen) is a tattooed hipster, never without his jaunty chapeau.

And with their penchant for the niceties of life, they can also carry on about the financial pragmatism of certain off-shore locales and quote Genghis Khan with ease. In short, they are myths. These folks do not exist, nor do their crimes. They are Hollywood’s constructed idols of a criminal world.

Somewhat paradoxically, the utter obviousness of the false characters actually benefits the movie. We can easily throw authenticity out the window and just take pleasure in the utter unreality of it all.

• Takers is playing at the Malco Cinema 12 in Fort Smith. Link here for time and ticket info.

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