Mob movie lacks insight
By Nicole Rodriguez
With a cast assembled by directors Brian Koppleman and David Levien, it would seem like "Knockaround Guys" had the potential to be a sure-fire hit. Unfortunately, the cast and filmmakers do not deliver all one would expect from the hype New Line Studios is giving the movie.
Barry Pepper ("We Were Soldiers") stars as Matty Demaret, the son of mob boss Benny "Chains" Demaret (Dennis Hopper) who is trying to land a straight job as a sports agent. Unfortunately, Matt finds that his father's ties are working against him, as everyone is afraid to hire him. Too connected to make it in the business world and too clean to continue the family business, Matty finds himself desperately searching for his niche in the world.
Tired of this scenario, Matty convinces his father and Uncle Teddy (John Malkovich) to help him and his friends in an "if you can't beat them, join them" move the audience saw coming before the opening credits.
The plan is to pick up a loan Chains needs to aid his dwindling restaurant and deliver it back to him without a hitch, and of course, there is a hitch. Matty's best friend Marbles ("Austin Powers"' Seth Green) loses $500,000 at a remote airport in Montana.
In order to save Marbles from his father's wrath and get back the cash, Matty and his buddies (Vin Diesel and Andrew Davoli) fly out to Montana to help him set things right.
Koppleman and Levien, last seen as the writing team behind the edgy success of "Rounders," make their directorial debut with their latest script. The problem with their work isn't that it's terrible, for there are some catchy one-liners in this semi-original plot. The problem is that everything about it is mediocre. The Montana aspect is an interesting twist on the classic mafia tale, but the writers don't go anywhere unconventional with it. They've just taken a rundown version of "Goodfellas" or "The Godfather" and slapped it in front of a new background.
The same can be said about their directing. The film comes together fine, but everything about it is conventional. There are no risky shots or interesting cuts, nothing to show that Koppleman and Levien gave this film any aesthetic thought whatsoever.
It seems like the two were so caught up in the awe of having a chance to direct a movie that they didn't care whether or not their finished product was good.
Barry Pepper, who stole scenes from screen veteran Tom Hanks in both "The Green Mile" and "Saving Private Ryan," does perhaps the best acting job in the film - not hard considering what he's surrounded by. At least through Pepper the audience can feel some of Matty's frustrations and anxieties. In the end we want him to win, and not just so the movie will be over quicker.
There is no reason for you to waste your time and money on "Knockaround Guys" when you could pick up something ten times better at the video store. If it's the mob you crave, go to a video store and pick up "Godfather" or hunt down a theater still showing "Road to Perdition."