Aronofsky Tries Lighter Action/Comedy but Can’t Help Himself
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, Caught Stealing is about the right balance of fun and chaos that you want in a popcorn movie. Interesting considering previous movies from the director have been quite dark and serious (list any – Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Black Swan, Mother!). Despite leaning towards comedy, it is just as violent.
Austin Butler is Hank, a mum-loving former baseball prodigy with an injury backstory, now tending bars and numbing the pain with booze. He has a steamy relationship with Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz) which is threatening to escalate to serious status. Oh yes, it’s set in 1998, so no smartphones; flip only.
His punk neighbour Russ (Matt Smith) splits for homeland England, leaving Hank with his cat. Soon after some Russians arrive looking for Russ and bash Hank instead. He ends up in hospital, but the Russian gangsters aren’t done, continuing to harass him thinking he knows something. Anyway, Russ returns and as we expect he’s dealing with the Russians, you can guess where it’s heading.
It’s an odd choice for Aronofsky, being closer to a Guy Ritchie film than his usual fare. It moves fast with plenty of action and goes for the violent, dark humour angle. The Russians are ruthless and the cops aren’t much better. People are getting viscously beaten and murdered at will. All up it’s a fun ride of a movie, held up by a great cast.
Butler is likeable as the unlucky Hank. Kravitz is always great, but I wish she was in more of the film; she is as charismatic as they come. Vincent D’Onofrio and Liev Schreiber are great as the psychopathic Hebrews. In fact, all of the characters are really well played, with Regina King as the cop, not to mention bar friends and crazy Russians (Nikita Kukushkin is basically playing a bulldog). Everyone seems to be having a good time despite some dark content.
Overall, it’s a movie I would recommend if you don’t mind mindless violence and mayhem. Anyone who likes the Tarantino through Ritchie era of gangster movies will likely love it. Some moments were shocking, others idiotic, but ultimately entertaining.
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