The Take

The Take I feel is very entertaining, more so when I heard how much money the film makers had to work with. I read some other reviews, and I was surprised to read that many thought ill of it. First off, I'll say it is exceptionally great film, with some pretty good actors for $800,000. It's not the type of film that has over the top stunts, CGI effects galore, which to me is refreshing. It tends to focus on the story, struggles with every day life, and cogs in the justice system. It has a gritty style, and I feel it's really worth seeing if you aren't looking for a "tear it up" action/suspense movie. "Good" acting...6 "Great" story....8

The Take (2007) is a film I recently watched on Tubi. The story follows an armored truck driver who is taken hostage during a heist, shot, and left for dead. After surviving, he struggles with mood swings, chronic pain, and relentless police interrogation. As his mental state deteriorates and his family life suffers, he decides he may need to solve the crime himself to regain control of his sanity.

Directed by Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer), the film stars John Leguizamo (Moulin Rouge), Tyrese Gibson (Baby Boy), Rosie Perez (White Men Can't Jump), Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire), and Roger Guenveur Smith (Do the Right Thing).

The cast is impressive, and the acting exceeds expectations, especially from John Leguizamo and Rosie Perez, whose portrayal of a strained marriage felt authentic and emotional. The setup is solid, and Leguizamo's mental unraveling is well-executed. The family dynamics are a strong point and help ground the film. Tyrese's character, however, felt unnecessary, and the full-circle ending leaned a bit too far into the unbelievable. Still, the strong performances and engaging character arcs keep your attention.

In conclusion, The Take is a fairly average film but worth watching if you're in the mood for something a little different. I'd score it a 6/10.

If I'd known this was categorically a drama I'd probably not have watched it. But I have a weakness for heist movies of any kind, and I really like Leguizamo, so I gave it a shot. Mistake. Now, the acting was good enough, especially from Rosie Perez, but the editing and choppy/shaky cinematography was beyond annoying, the music way too overdramatic, the action/suspense nonexistent save for the opening scene, and when it came down to it the movie was a recovery drama. As that, it wasn't too bad. Then comes the ending. The, uh, "climax." What were they thinking? A drawn out, fruitless chase scene. I'm not a spoiler reviewer which is tough here but I think I've made my point. The only way you should watch this is knowing it's a drama, and have the FF button at the ready.

The first time I saw this it blew me away. Since then it is probably one of my favourite movies of all time - why? The stylishness, the grittiness, the acting and the passion. You can tell that the people involved in the project really put their all into it and truly believed in telling a good story. The story itself is, on the surface, something we've heard of before - typical heist gone wrong yada yada. But what makes this so special is the clever character study and the evolution we see in John Leguizamo's character. This is one of his best roles - the acting is top notch. Rosie Perez is equally impressive in her role and the passion bleeds from the screen. You can tell Director Brad Furman wanted to stay true to the roots of the characters - he did go to Boyle Heights and filmed within the neighbourhoods wherein the story is set. On the commentary to the film he talks about the issues this raised due to guerilla style filming and some of the risks involved. The evolution of Leguizamo's character, a man just trying to make an honest living and provide for his family, who gets caught up in something outside of his control and has to fight through the ruins of the aftermath. It's truly wonderful to witness - the lawnmower scene and his anger is felt through the screen as he battles the scars he's been left with as a result of the events. Having seen Furman's other films, I still consider this his best for its unique nerve and sheer determination to make this project feel realistic and gritty. 9/10 - For the brutal and hardcore acting, cinematography and gritty realism - do not miss this!

There is a time and a place for shaky, hand-held camera work. This irritating technique continues to be the most over-used in Hollywood. I nearly turned this film off after the first 4 minutes because I was experiencing motion sickness. And this was all while the protagonist was getting up and getting ready for work. Even when you are trying to show action as it might be seen from a live news camera I would still make a case for trying to show the action as it might be seen by the human eye -- steady and focused even when the viewer is moving. My perception is that shaky camera work is used in the same way that too much background music is used -- to compensate for mediocrity in the film itself.

I stayed with the film to the end because a lot of others felt it was a good film and John Leguizamo can be counted on for a fine performance. I thought the movie itself was only OK. Story line developed slowly and often tediously to a somewhat satisfying conclusion. I would have rated it a 5 to 6 with better camera work. I'm glad I saw the whole thing but I will never need to see it again.