Takers (Rhoades)

“Takers” Will Take Your Money
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

You’ve probably been reading about the recent art heist in Paris, where a thief made off with $120 million worth of modern masterpieces, including works by Picasso and Matisse. Reminds you of “The Thomas Crown Affair,” doesn’t it?
I attended the world premiere of “The Thomas Crown Affair,” the first one. Yes, I got to hang out with Steve McQueen.

So you can see I’m a longtime fan of heist movies.

Such a movie called “Takers” is currently playing at the Tropic Cinema. This is a better title than its original, “Bone Deep.” Robbers, no matter how much we romanticize them, are takers of that which does not belong to them.

In “Takers,” Matt Dillon (“Armored,” “Crash”) is the cop who stands between a group of bank robbers and a $20 million heist. Nice to see him in a role on this side of the law.

The takers are played by an ensemble cast that includes Idris Elba (“American Gangster,” “The Losers”), Michael Ealy (”Miracle of St. Anna,” “Seven Pounds”), Chris Brown, (”Stomp the Yard,” “This Christmas”), Paul Walker (“Fast & Furious,” “Flags of Our Fathers”), Hayden Christensen (“Star Wars II, III, and IV”), and Zoö Saldaña (“Avatar,” “Star Trek”). These professional thieves are pulled into one last job by smooth-talking T.I. (“ATL,” “For Sale”).

Elba is the leader, Ealy the gunman, Brown the flashy younger brother, Walker the bagman, Christensen the builder, and Saldaña what we used to call a moll.

This crime thriller was directed by John Luessenhop based on a screenplay by him and a handful of other writers. It’s what one online blogger called “a solid popcorn flick.”

I admit the film exudes a certain verisimilitude, considering that singer T. I. (a/k/a Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr.) is an indicted felon who served time on federal weapons charges. And R&B singer Chris Brown is under five-years probation after pleading guilty to beating his then-girlfriend Rihanna.

A historic event, “Takers” is the first film approved by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for futures and option trading based upon box-office returns in the United States. So it’s determined to steal you money one way or another.

srhoades@aol.com
[from Solares Hill]