A monotonous slog through dirgeland, telling a story that seems strung out beyond all reason, with flashbacks upon flashbacks delaying interminably the underwhelming climax.
The Take (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 13
Fresh: 11
Rotten:2
Average Rating: 6.7/10
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Genre: Thriller, Justice, Framed, Theatrical Release, Crime, Los Angeles, California
Synopsis: Criminals learn that they may have messed with the wrong man in this thriller starring John Leguizamo, Tyrese Gibson, and Bobby Cannavale. Leguizamo (EMPIRE) plays Felix De La Pena, a man just trying to survive in East L.A. when he is... Criminals learn that they may have messed with the wrong man in this thriller starring John Leguizamo, Tyrese Gibson, and Bobby Cannavale. Leguizamo (EMPIRE) plays Felix De La Pena, a man just trying to survive in East L.A. when he is carjacked by a violent criminal (Gibson, FOUR BROTHERS). Soon Felix learns that his experience wasn't an isolated incident, and he begins to search for the men behind the scheme before he becomes a suspect for their crimes. Rosie Perez (DO THE RIGHT THING) costars as Felix's wife. [More]
Starring: John Leguizamo, Tyrese Gibson, Bobby Cannavale, Rosie Perez
Starring: John Leguizamo, Tyrese Gibson, Bobby Cannavale, Rosie Perez, Yul Vaquez, Jake Muxworthy, Matthew Hatchette, Laurence Mason, Roger Guenveur Smith, Carlos Sanz
Director: Brad Furman
Director: Brad Furman
Screenwriter: Jonas Pate, Josh Pate
Producer: Braxton Pope, Andrew Weiner
Composer: Chris Hajian
Reviews for The Take
Funny man John Leguizamo gets in touch with his furious and fiery side in The Take, and that transitional extreme mood swing is surprisingly impressive.
Indie director Brad Furman has unleashed a powerful low budget thriller that makes good use of the talents of John Leguizamo as well as those of supporting performers Tyrese Gibson and Rosie Perez.
John Leguizamo knocks it out of the park as an armored car driver in The Take, which is quite a bit better than you'd expect from a low-budget thriller that's getting a token theatrical release a month ahead of its DVD debut.
Perez and Leguizamo make an entirely believable couple, and director Brad Furman creates an intense undercurrent of intimacy between the audience and his haunted hero.
Mr. Furman, who also directs music videos, has given the movie, shot by Lukas Ettlin, a bleached-out, unglossy look. Occasionally the visuals seem overly stylized, but Mr. Furman knows enough to showcase his stars’ unvarnished performances.
Abundantly gritty and atmospheric, The Take is marked with many of the errors of a first feature, and succeeds almost entirely through exceptional performances by stars John Leguizamo and Rosie Perez.
This winning combination of neighborhood indie and old-school Hollywood B movie is the kind of film that doesn’t flinch from the sight of a bullet being removed from human flesh.
Furman stages the final foot chase with brio, but one wishes that he’d found a way to stay at home with Felix and Marina, who don’t need guns to thrill.
Production values are tops, and Lukas Ettlin's athletic camerawork -- coursing through the streets of Boyle Heights and other Los Angeles locations -- adds a kinetic element to a film that is half thriller, half psychodrama.
Short on sensational elements but involving, it won't set multiplexes on fire but should make a decent showing thanks to cast and plot.
If you usually dig John Leguizamo's work, then you'll definitely want to see this one.
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May 04, 2008:
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