TAKERS

US, 2010, 107 minutes, Colour.
Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, Chris Brown, Steve Harris, Michael Ealy, Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, Jay Hernandez, Marianne Jean- Baptiste, Zoe Saldana, Gideon Emery, Johnathan Schaech.
Directed by John Luessenhop.

Nothing subtle about the title of this heist action thriller. The central characters are real takers. They commit armed robberies and have no scruple in taking what they want to be theirs.

Maybe nothing particularly new here – but who says that everything has to be new? Yes, this is a gang of thieves. They work together. Some of them fall out. (Come to think of it, there is more than a resemblance to The Town, which was in fact made after The Takers.) But, this is a rather affluent group of seeming gentlemen who act thuggishly. They dress smartly, speak well, live in the best hotels and wear tailor-made clothes which, of course, they can afford. Idris Elba is the leader with some suavity and brains. Paul Walker look as if he has gone further out in defying the law than in the Fast and Furious series. Hayden Christensen is meant to offer brawn, though he still looks scrawny. Somebody mentioned he is acting-challenged and there seems to some truth in this. Chris Brown (who does the longest and most complicated run from the police chase in movies and doesn’t seem too much out of breath) and Michael Early are two brothers. They are joined by a former member of the gang who is coming out of prison (Tip Four of the gang are African Americans.

And the law? We are initially surprised to find that two characters whom we may have thought were part of the gang are LA police. Matt Dillon gives strong performances these days and is the tough cop, full-time committed and vigilant (divorced with a young daughter whose parental visits are spoiled as he follows leads instead of taking her out). His partner is the pleasant Jay Hernandez who finds problems of his own. Zoe Saldana has a brief role as a girlfriend and Jonathan Schaech is the respectable seeming money manager for the thieve.

There are two major heists, one brief and efficient, the other something of a fiasco (but not quite).

Thus the plot and characters. The rest of the review needs to emphasise that this is pretty much a non-stop actioner, fast, handheld camera work to remind us that it is real. Pounding score with music, editing, dialogue and performance all aimed at adrenalin pumping. The Takers does what it set out to do (which was not to be a masterpiece but a robbery genre piece).

1. A heist thriller? The characteristics of this kind of genre, the crime, the criminals, the police, the clashes? Thieves falling out?

2. The Los Angeles settings, the affluent aspects of the city, banks and streets, the police? The musical score?

3. The title, the gang and their describing themselves as takers? Their amoral stances?

4. The introduction to the gang, the robbery, rapid, the reaction to people, taking of the money, the alarm, the masks, the CCTV wave, the police?

5. The gang and their personalities, Gordon and his age, experience, bearing, leadership? The brains of the outfit? His manner? Crime, exploitation? John, his brains, business sense, smooth manner? A.J. and his erratic behaviour, the fights, offhand? The brothers, their relationship? The girlfriend?

6. The group together, working as a team, the detailed preparation and execution?

7. Jack and Eddie, driving together, seeing them as police, partners, their work, dedication, the drug bust, breaking in, the criminals’ escape, the arrest? The authorities and Jack and his methods? His being tough, violent, interrogations and threats?

8. The robbery and Jack and his commitment, Eddie and his work? The background of their private lives? Jack and his taking out his daughter, delaying the outing because of his following up on detail? At the station? Eddie at home, marriage, the advice to Jack?

9. Internal Affairs, summoning Jack, not because of his violence, the video of the stakeout, the video of Eddie taking the money? Jack and his reaction? With Eddie, talking with him, the truth, the nature of the temptation? Jack and his support?

10. Ghost, being part of the gang, in jail for five years, getting out, the resentment of the years, making the link again, the meeting, the plan, the contact with the Russians?

11. The Russians, their types, brutality, working with Ghost, agreeing with him, Ghost and his intrusion, tricking them and killing them?

12. The plan, its detail, timing, the agreement on each member to do their bit, the drive, the hole in the ground, the excavation, the robbery and its timing? The violence, the drivers, defending the money?

13. The dramatic aspects of the chase, the cars, on foot, the long chase and demanding, the escape?

14. The group meeting together, decisions, the money, dividing it, the Russians arriving, their being shot? The brothers and their interactions, the girlfriend and her character? Death?

15. Gordon and his sister, her drug addiction, his looking after her, her getting out, with Ghost, taking the money? A.J. and his fighting, John? Ghost and his betrayal, his motivations and revenge?

16. Naomi, the drugs, rehabilitation, failure, Ghost?

17. Eddie, his feelings about the robbery, his guilt, with the criminals, getting shot – allowing himself to be shot? Reparation?

18. Jack, the dedicated policeman, his achievement?