Film review: Pain & Gain

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Anthony Mackie, Dwayne Johnson, Ed Harris, entertainment, Film review Pain & Gain, film reviews, Films, Mark Wahlberg, Miami New Times, Michael Bay, movies, Pain & Gain, Tony Shalhoub

With big franchises like Bad Boys and Transformers to his name Michael Bay seems to be an odd choice for such a wacky story like Pain & Gain.  After all this ‘it-is so-strange-it-has to-be-true’ tale is nothing like the blockbusters he is use to.

Based on a true story of three body-builders gone wrong Pain & Gain has everything that made the 90s great, or bad depending on which way you look at it: strippers, sports cars, drugs, bright colours and lots, and lots of money.

In 1994 Danny Luco (Mark Wahlberg) decides that his life as a pumped up personal trainer is not enough, and definitely not the American way of life.  When a new client joins the Miami Sun Gym and has everything he wants, Luco decides to kidnap and extort him.

But every hero, even an anti one, needs a sidekick or two so Luco gets his colleague Adrian (Anthony Mackie) and ex-con turned Christian Paul (Dwayne Johnson) to join him in his mad plan.

Since they all have more muscle than brains of course the whole endeavour goes south and when self-made sandwich millionaire Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) fights back and hires private investigator Ed DuBois (Ed Harris) the mission is doomed.

Pain & Gain has all the ingredients of a good story and with a series of Miami New Times articles to back up the unbelievable plot it’s hard to understand where it all went wrong. But somehow it does! And since Wahlberg , Johnson and Mackie do a good job in portraying the inept kidnappers it is mainly down to Bay and his direction that the film doesn’t work.

While some scenes are strong and visually interesting, others dwell too long on the unimportant. The vivid colours and frenzied style of the film add to a ‘drugged-up’ feeling when watching and the wobbly camera really doesn’t help. Also at running over two hours Pain & Gain is just too long.

Pain & Gain is an over-the-top film with no subtleties about it. There are some funny moments but overall it is like an old woman wearing too much makeup: the shades may be pretty and the idea is good but the result is just too gaudy to look at.

Film review: Elysium

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Alice Braga, District 9, entertainment, Film Review, film review Elysium, Jodie Foster, Matt Damon, Neill Blomkamp, Science fiction, Sharlto Copley

One man against all odds, the underdog prevails or the triumph of right against wrong are all clichés that describe the plot of director Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi film Elysium.

The year is 2154 and the worlds wealthy have moved off-planet to an artificial plant called Elysium. And while the rich enjoy a peaceful life of clean air, environment and perfect health the poor on earth are treated like a colony that provides the goods.

Ex-convict Max (Matt Damon) is trying to change his life around and achieve the great things he believes he is capable of.  When his arm is injured he encounters his old love interest and childhood friend Frey (Alice Braga) who is working as a nurse in the hospital. Max tries to convince her that he is a changed man, but before he can prove that he is, his life spiral out of control.

While Max is fighting for survival on Earth, Defense Minister Delacourt (Jodie Foster) is making a move for power. Without any regard for human life or consequences Delacourt makes decisions, her paid assassin Kruger (Sharlto Copley) always at hand to do her dirty work.

Like in his 2009 hit District 9 the world Blomkamp portraits in Elysium is gritty, dusty, grey and not working. Again healthcare, illegal immigrants and power-hungry politicians take center stage but sadly Elysium it is a less emotional social commentary than his Oscar nominated film.

That said the premise of Elysium is good, it just doesn’t quite live up to its grand promise.  And while Damon does a solid job of playing the fighting underdog Max, Foster is horrible as Delacourt, especially her odd accent is very off-putting.  One of the highlights of Elysium is the delightfully gruesome Kruger and Copley does a wonderful job in bringing his pure evil to life.

Elysum is quite a complicated film with lots of different levels and plots. So with all the different storyline mingling together it seems a little too much to find Max not only dealing with a political coup but a personal struggle as well.

Overall Elysium is a good sci-fi film, with some full-on action scenes, gritty story telling, some big ideas and a hunky looking hero.