Here's a review of a fun little flick Father Geek got to see about a month ago. I had a real good time with it, but be forwarned... the humor, like that of Kevin Smith, or those SOUTH PARK, or MR. SHOW guys is NOT going to be everyone's cup of tea, some will just find it annoying, but those who find it enjoyable WILL be rabid about it...
Hey guys, Bimbo here... No Baggins, not that dumb dog...
When you go into a movie like, say, Armageddon you sit low in the chair, take one long, last breath and get ready for the ride ahead, because you know in advance there’s going to be huge fireballs, loud explosions, and impressive special effects. You know the plot is as Saturday Morning as they come and the dialogue will have lines like, “He’s got a gun and he’s going to shoot me!” (take that UC: Undercover). You know that you’re not crossing your fingers for a Liv Tyler Oscar performance or even a Michael Bay Golden Globe-worthy directorial effort, but you hitch yourself into the roller coaster anyways cause it’s pure, harmless American escapism. Ok, well maybe not harmless.
I took a similar approach before going into see Made, the follow-up collab of Vince Vaughn and Jon Faveau to Swingers. I knew well-ahead of time that I wasn’t going to see this movie for its groundbreaking special effects, powerful storyline, nor epic score but I was enticed in knowing that I was going to see another film which would bring a second helping of “money” banter, His Girl Friday style.
And Made doesn’t disappoint. Vaughn and Farveau are back with all-new crack-whip wit that brings back that warm fuzzy feeling that you last had while watching Swingers.
Favreau, who also writes and makes his directorial debut, plays Bobby, a hard working and moral wannabe boxer who also just happens to bodyguard for his girlfriend-stripper (the saucy Famke Jannsen in basically a cameo appearance). Vaughn plays Ricky, a guy who really has no purpose of even being in the story other than the fact he “helped” Bobby through some tough times while they were kids while growing up.
Both unsuccessful in what they do (Bobby is 5-5-1 as a boxer “not a losing record!”; Ricky a “pretend” sweeper on a construction site), the two head to Mob boss Max (played hilariously by the vintage Peter Falk) to pay back for their screw-ups. So Max foots the bill and sends the idiots out to New York from LA to assist in getting “a job done”.
That’s basically the plot but, then again, who really cares. For the guys, lots of money means nice hotels, nice suits, and even nicer women, especially for Ricky (what can we say, Vaughn just knows how to sweet-talk da ladies.) And their cluelessness only adds to the hilarity of the scheme as the two have no idea how to handle any sort of illegal behavior and Ricky doesn’t take authority other than his own very well.
I enjoyed Vaughn terribly in his role and it was interesting to see how his character began to catch on to the flow of handling big men and money. He’s paranoid, cocky, and too slick for his own good yet despite his arrogance and fast-talking you really sense his loyalty to Bobby and over-all dependability.
Favreau doesn’t do much in the film, although his work outside of it is fine. As Bobby, he mainly sits back, looking frustrated and recessively listening to Vaughn’s quick mouth. The film really feels like it was written for Vaughn to show off his stuff and it’s his dialogue and occasional repartee between the two that connects each scene. The direction is choppy at times, but now and again crooked angles, long lenses, and slow motion are utilized to retain that indie feel and do their job.
What really surprised me was some unknown actor credited as Sean Combs (employing his “adult” name for “adult” acting, I see…) who actually was pretty good. Don’t care much for his music nor his habitual gun-pulling but he was impressive as a high-steaks Manhattan gangster. And, boy, can he say “Fuck” real well, like a real live gangster!
In the end, Made isn’t Swingers or Swingers 2, even if the marketing team at Artisan is tossing it out as something similar, although it’s as close as anyone is going to get. In my opinion, the chemistry between Favreau and Vaughn in Swingers is some of the tightest that we saw in the 90’s and the two are unmatched if allowed the chance to shine.
The film won’t have quite the cult following or success that Swingers has had but the chance to see Favreau and Vaughn back together again is worth the while. Made has maybe a bit more heart than its older brother, especially in a scene at the end as the guys bicker marriage-like over their “daughter” but Swingers in funnier. Just go into the theatre expecting some great dialogue and chemistry and leave it at that. You’ll get a few surprises now and again if you do.
If you loved Swingers you’ll like Made, although this new film never really quite gets it done.
Bimbo Baggins
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