CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES
US, 2015, 94 minutes, Colour.
Michael Pitt, Dan Stevens, Christopher Abbott, Rob Brown, Edi Gethegi, Jackie Earle Haley, John Travolta.
Directed by Jackie Earle Haley.
There is some irony in the title. The four central characters could not be called criminals but they are drawn into the criminal world of abduction and, then, of murder. However, there is a range of urban gangsters, Italian background, African-American backgrounds – an investigation by FBI agents.
This is the only screenplay by writer, Robert Lowell. Which is a pity – because there is a lot of inventiveness in his screenplay here and quite some unexpected twists as well as some tongue-in-cheek humour.
The focus is on four men, early middle age, or at school together, one of them the subject of bullying. The film opens with the death of a friend, hit by a bus in the street, suspected suicide. The four meet after the funeral and there is a discussion about a financial proposition, proposed by Noah (British Dan Stevens) whom the other three rather disdain, memories of their bullying him at school. The leader of the group is Zach (Michael Pitt), a smug businessman, about to be married, a private investigator checking on the absences of his fiancee and becoming more and more paranoid about her whereabouts. More sympathetic are the other two members, Warren (Christopher Abbott) who has given up drinking. There is their African-American friend, the sympathetic Bryce (Rob Brown). Noah, in real estate, makes them a proposition so that they be partners in a business and he would supply the $200,000 needed.
One month later. Their business connection is arrested and the four go into panic. They are approached by a local boss, played with some complacency and charm by John Travolta. He gets involved in the kidnapping of the brother of an African-American gangster to be used in exchange because of the abduction of his niece. Needless to say, they go into panic. However, masks on, they do go to a restaurant where their target is talking with his criminal friends. They succeed, hold the hostage in a warehouse for 24 hours. This gives the film the opportunity to explore the character of each of the four men as well as the very streetsmart acumen of their hostage. Noah keeps putting his foot in it – but they do send him out to buy some ice cream. The hostage tries to bribe the others to let him free. And they wait for the phone call from the gangster.
The audience then learns much more about the situation, the role of the FBI agents, the tough African-American gangster leader who wants his nephew back, and the discovery that the hostage is wearing a wire. So, twists and complications. Zack panics but the gangster arrives and commands that each of them shoot the hostage.
Then the film goes three hours later and some revelations about the contrivances of the plot and who is being paid off.
Even more tantalisingly, the narrative goes back several months earlier explaining how of the whole exercise was a set up, and a revenge. Actually, quite a twist and an ending!
The film was directed by actor Jackie Earle Haley who plays the henchmen for John Travolta.
1. A different crime story? Participants? The mob and gangsters? Race issues? The FBI and undercover agents? Businessman out of the depths? Revenge story?
2. The American city, the initial death in the street, the bus? The funeral and the church? The businessmen meeting, the restaurant? The drama of the abduction? The warehouse, interiors, holding the hostage? The world of gangsters, jogging in the streets, meetings, the African-American gangsters? The musical score?
3. The title, the irony is in connection with the four men, professional gangsters?
4. The structure of the film, the death and the funeral, the meeting, one month later, the confrontation with Eddie and the consequences, moving to 3 hours later, and then the twist with moving to months earlier and the revelation of the twists?
5. The four men, the death under the bus, the suicide and depression, presence of the funeral, meeting, the memories of Noah, dislike of him, the three pretending to welcome him? Recalling school episodes and their treatment of Noah? His inheritance, issues of money, real estate, the advice, the plan, the money, partners?
6. The month later, the rest of the businessman, the threat to the fore, their reactions? Zach, assuming the leadership, business, his relationship with his girlfriend, paranoid about her behaviour? Warren, more sympathetic, quiet, giving up alcohol, listening? Bryce, African-American, sympathetic? Talk, the reaction to the loss of money? Eddie, the John Travolta screen persona?
7. Eddie, his background, his manner, quoting Macbeth, the story of his niece and the kidnapping, the planned to kidnap Marques, the hesitations of the men, trapped, deciding to do the abduction, the masks, Marques and his friends, the toilet, taking him, the violence, the shot, the van in pursuit overturning? The warehouse, tying him up?
8. Holding Marques for 24 hours, waiting for Eddie’s call, the different personalities being revealed, the interactions, Marques trying to persuade Noah with money, Bryce, the upset but Marques in the toilet? The various moods, Zach and the private investigator about his girlfriend, his anger, bashing Marques? The discovery of Marques and the wire? The shifting of mood, Marques and his friends in the restaurant, recording the conversations, the FBI in the van listening, the FBI hearing all that happened with Marques’ abduction, going to the African-American thugs to get information?
9. Eddie, the phone calls, Zach cutting him off, Zach and his plan to leave, Eddie arriving?
10. Eddie, the demand to kill Marques, the reluctance, Warren shooting him? The reaction of the others?
11. Three hours later, Noah and Eddie, the bag full of money?
12. The months earlier, the revelation about Noah, the flashbacks to his being bullied, his plan for revenge, confrontation with Zach, the discussions with Eddie, Eddie agreeing to the set up, the plan in operation, revelations about Noah when he went to buy the ice cream, continuing the deals, Zach and his paranoia about his girlfriend, seeing the photos, discovering the other man was Noah? No pushing the man under the bus?
13. The irony of the ending, Noah achieving all his ambitions and his revenge, and going off with the girlfriend, and the money?
