TOWER HEIST, or How Brett Ratner Made A First-Class Caper With Social Relevance
You can say what you want about Brett Ratner but the guy has a pretty impressive resume. Maker of over a 100 music videos; first feature at 27; billion-dollar director ten years later with the RUSH HOUR franchise and an X-MEN film; gutsy producer of PRISON BREAK; infamous playboy... But it'd be utterly simplistic to reduce Ratner to his track record. He's one of the most compelling directors in Hollywood. Compelling? DAMN RIGHT.
Most people don't know that RED DRAGON - the masterful SILENCE OF THE LAMBS prequel - was helmed by Ratner. Nor do they know he is gonna make a film written by James Toback (FINGERS) and produced by Bob Evans (MARATHON MAN). And that his mentors include Warren Beaty (BUGSY), Roman Polanski (THE PIANIST) or Robert Towne (CHINATOWN).
A lot of acclaimed directors don't ever get to that point. SO, WHY DOES HE DO?
The answer is simple. RATNER DESERVES IT: the man loves storytelling and film more than anything else, he knows what the term "pop culture" truly means and above all he knows how to make quality movies that people love. And that is priceless...
Ratner just made TOWER HEIST, a skilled mix of genres resulting in a fun(ny), thrilling & pertinent film - his best yet, a real New York picture - produced by a true Hollywood mogul, Brian Grazer (A BEAUTIFUL MIND).
A lot of acclaimed directors don't ever get to that point. SO, WHY DOES HE DO?
The answer is simple. RATNER DESERVES IT: the man loves storytelling and film more than anything else, he knows what the term "pop culture" truly means and above all he knows how to make quality movies that people love. And that is priceless...
Ratner just made TOWER HEIST, a skilled mix of genres resulting in a fun(ny), thrilling & pertinent film - his best yet, a real New York picture - produced by a true Hollywood mogul, Brian Grazer (A BEAUTIFUL MIND).
Do you remember what a Caper is? It's a sub-genre of the Heist film. It can be comical. Think THE HOT ROCK, $ or GOING IN STYLE. Those films are all about the characters. Dramatic situations trigger the plot. But the heists never go according to plan - and that's when the laughs comes in. Ultimately, they are very difficult pictures to pull off because they are very layered narrative whose "layers" often work simultaneously.
TOWER HEIST revolves around the workers of a luxurious Manhattan building. When they realize they are the victims of the penthouse's resident Ponzi scheme, they decide to rob him for everything he has.
Movies need an exposition (one way or another); yet so many films skimp on it to start with the action right away. And that has become a new standard for many Hollywood films.
In TOWER HEIST, you get a complete First Act; the film's world is set - the characters are introduced - their motivations and inner conflicts are developed. This makes you care about these people but before all, it grounds the story. It's a bold move to have in a film as big as this one.
So, when the concept of the heist arrives and the fun blasts in, you are in for one hell of a cinematic ride. The casting completely reflects that. Two comedic geniuses: Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy as polar opposites - surrounded by a cast of character actors: Casey Affleck, Michael Pena, Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda.
Ratner also uses his chops to stage pretty cool stunt pieces - heightening both the drama and the comedy. The style is intentionally simple; it's about telling the story in the most evocative and efficient way - letting the action evolve within the frame - the cut is never over-used - the audience is not spoon-fed the story but rather tastefully narrated.
As much as this is an escapist fare, it is also anchored in contemporary society. Ponzi scheme? The most infamous one was by Bernard Madoff - not so long ago. But ultimately, this movie captures the deep crisis of class-division in America: the haves and the have-nots. It captures the instant we live in. And that's why it feels real. As the tagline says: It's not just a Robbery. It's Payback. It is the very first picture to openly adress such events/issues in a commercial, crowd-pleasing, creative and smart way.
Because TOWER HEIST is for everyone; guys, girls, parents, children, bosses and employees. It's THAT good.
TZ
(11/05/2011)
TOWER HEIST revolves around the workers of a luxurious Manhattan building. When they realize they are the victims of the penthouse's resident Ponzi scheme, they decide to rob him for everything he has.
Movies need an exposition (one way or another); yet so many films skimp on it to start with the action right away. And that has become a new standard for many Hollywood films.
In TOWER HEIST, you get a complete First Act; the film's world is set - the characters are introduced - their motivations and inner conflicts are developed. This makes you care about these people but before all, it grounds the story. It's a bold move to have in a film as big as this one.
So, when the concept of the heist arrives and the fun blasts in, you are in for one hell of a cinematic ride. The casting completely reflects that. Two comedic geniuses: Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy as polar opposites - surrounded by a cast of character actors: Casey Affleck, Michael Pena, Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda.
Ratner also uses his chops to stage pretty cool stunt pieces - heightening both the drama and the comedy. The style is intentionally simple; it's about telling the story in the most evocative and efficient way - letting the action evolve within the frame - the cut is never over-used - the audience is not spoon-fed the story but rather tastefully narrated.
As much as this is an escapist fare, it is also anchored in contemporary society. Ponzi scheme? The most infamous one was by Bernard Madoff - not so long ago. But ultimately, this movie captures the deep crisis of class-division in America: the haves and the have-nots. It captures the instant we live in. And that's why it feels real. As the tagline says: It's not just a Robbery. It's Payback. It is the very first picture to openly adress such events/issues in a commercial, crowd-pleasing, creative and smart way.
Because TOWER HEIST is for everyone; guys, girls, parents, children, bosses and employees. It's THAT good.
TZ
(11/05/2011)
