Film Review: TOWER HEIST (2011)

Director: Brett Ratner
Writers (screenplay): Ted Griffin, Jeff Nathanson
Writers (story): Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Ted Griffin
Running time: 101 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Action/Comedy/Crime
UK Release date: 4^th November 2011

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 3^rd November 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This will be a shorter review than usual; I don’t feel it’s worth putting a lot of effort into it as the filmmakers seemed to feel the same. Here’s a quick summary: Bad guy investor, Arthur Shaw gets busted for fraud and a group of employees in the building where he lives find their pension fund gone. With little chance of getting it back, a group of them led by building manager, Josh Kovaks, decide to steal it back from Mr Shaw’s penthouse apartment. They have no experience of robbery and so Kovaks brings in a thief, Slide… and that’s about all you need to know.

This is one of those films that has a great cast but fails to deliver on so many levels. Yes, things do pick up when Eddie Murphy is on screen as Slide, but other than that it’s a pretty much by-the-book heist comedy. Ben Stiller plays, well, Ben Stiller, as Josh Kovaks and Alan Alda does a fairly decent job as Arthur Shaw. Other than that you could have put almost anyone in the other parts and nobody would have noticed. However, I’ll name and shame them; Casey Affleck plays Charlie, could do much better; Matthew Broderick plays Mr. Fitzhugh, needs to speak to his agent; Stephen Henderson plays Lester; Judd Hirsch plays Mr. Simon, he’s much better than this; Téa Leoni plays Special Agent Claire Denham, she was good but deserves better parts than this; Michael Peña plays Enrique Dev’Reaux, again, could do better, and finally; Gabourey Sidibe plays Odessa, and I can only hope she’s not started a trend of playing the fat black woman in comedies… she is SO much better than this!

Over all a film that had one or two moments but one which I didn’t particularly enjoy. I found it far too predictable, although I did like most of the scenes featuring Eddie Murphy; he’s still got some of that old magic. I found it shocking that so many talented actors were persuaded to participate in this formulaic dross. I just hope that someone out there in Hollywoodland is making some decent films in which, at least some of these actors, can get a chance to show what they can do! They certainly didn’t get a chance here! All I learned was that Téa Leoni plays drunk pretty well.

SteelMonster’s verdict: NOT RECOMMENDED

My score: 4.9/10

IMDb Score: 6.2/10 (based on 55,506 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0471042/

MetaScore: 59/100: (Based on 39 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 69/100 (based on 181 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 51/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 48,123 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tower_heist/

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http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Josh Kovacs: The average apartment in the Tower costs 5.6 million dollars. We have the best views, the most advanced security systems, but you know what these people are really buying?
Rick Malloy: White neighbors?

Josh Kovacs: Several years ago, he was asked to manage all your pensions. Right now, they're saying that anyone who invested with Mr Shaw has been frauded.
Odessa Montero: Did he get your money too?
Josh Kovacs: ...Yeah. He did.

Cole Howard: We're not criminals. We don't know how to steal...
Josh Kovacs: Don't worry. I know someone who does.

Slide: How come you bailed me out? Man, I don't even know your name!
Josh Kovacs: You don't remember Mrs Schaltzberg? We used to get dropped at her house every day for daycare! Heavy-set German woman, short goatee.
Slide: You the little seizure boy that's having seizures all the time!
Josh Kovacs: Asthma doesn't cause seizures!

Cole Howard: [to Devro] Devro, will you please remind Mr. Shaw?
Rick Malloy: [to Shaw] I'm very sorry, Mr. Shaw, but we don't accept tips at the tower.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.universalstudiosentertainment.com/tower-heist/
Trailer:

Film Review: PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE (2009)

Director: Lee Daniels
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

UK release date: 29th January 2010

Watched on DVD Sunday 10th October 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film was highly praised at both the Oscars and the BAFTAs earlier this year, so I thought I’d take a look. It tells the story of a 450 pound girl and how a move to a special school turned her life around. Here’s a brief summary.

Precious is an illiterate sixteen year old schoolgirl who is pregnant with her second child. The child’s father is her own dad, who raped her. She has an abusive mother, Mary, who puts her down both verbally and physically at every opportunity. It seems nobody cares for Precious until the principle at her school signs her up for the ‘Each One, Teach One’ project. Precious goes to the class and meets Ms. Rain, the teacher who will change her life. She is put in a class with other kids who, for one reason or another, haven’t done as well at school as they might. One day, after more abuse and pressure from her mother, Precious goes to sign up for welfare. She is interviewed by Mrs. Weiss who gets her to tell her all about her life at home. A short time later she has her baby, a boy, and is befriended by a male nurse at the hospital called John. When Precious takes her baby home there is a fight and she has to flee. Not knowing where to go she ends up at the school where Ms. Rain ends up taking care of her. From here on, life gets better for Precious, but there will be a couple more bumps in the road yet.

This is a really well made film with some really great performances. I love the way that when Precious is being abused, she goes off into this fantasy world where she’s famous and glamorous, it really fitted in neatly. Great work from all the leading cast, especially Gabourey Sidibe as Precious and Mo'Nique as Mary. Both put in stellar performances. I should also give honourable mentions to Paula Patton as Ms. Rain, Mariah Carey as Mrs. Weiss, Sherri Shepherd as Cornrows and Lenny Kravitz as Nurse John.

A very gritty tale told with a lot of affection. I found it quite engrossing to watch and it was very easy to identify with the characters. Over all, a very good film, but with some very strong themes. Well worth a viewing. Recommended.

My score: 7.8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0929632/
Official Site: http://www.weareallprecious.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1522402585/