[yasr_overall_rating]
Four young men make a risky investment together that puts them in trouble with the mob.
“The Usual Suspects” must really be loved because every so often, a movie comes along that dares to replicate it, not just plotwise, but also in terms of overall atmosphere. Some succeed, others, not so much. Here, Jackie Earle Haley, known to many as Rorschach in “Watchmen,” and the new Freddy Krueger in the 2010 remake of “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” steps behind the camera in his feature film directorial debut. He successfully creates a claustrophobic and at times, suspenseful atmosphere, complete with convincing characters and definitive storylines that intertwine with each other throughout and are neatly wrapped up in the film’s surprise finale.
After leaving college and moving into the real world, three friends, Zach (Michael Pitt), Bryce (Rob Brown), and Warren (Christopher Abbott), one day meet Noah (Dan Stevens), an old college friend whom they have not seen in some time. They all reconnect and when Noah gives them the opportunity to be included in what appears to be a surefire risk-free investment, they are all on board. There’s only one catch though, between them all they don’t have enough to make up the required contribution. Noah assures them that he knows a guy who can get the money for them and trusting in him, everyone agrees.
Everything is great for a while but shortly thereafter, things quickly decline as the FBI begins investigating the company the friends invested their money in and when they discover that the person who loaned them the money, is none other than a well-known local crime boss named Eddie (John Travolta), who fears that he won’t recoup his investment from the friends, they fear for their lives when he calls for a meeting. Understanding that they don’t have the requisite funds, he offers them a deal; locate and kidnap Marques (Edi Gathegi), a local kingpin’s nephew and hold him until further notice. With the friends extremely apprehensive, Eddie informs them that they kidnapped his niece and are holding her for ransom. If they acquire Marques, he can initiate a trade and once it’s successfully completed, he will consider their loan paid in full.
Uncertain of how to proceed, but knowing they don’t have a choice, the friends manage to locate Marques at a local bar and abduct him to one of Eddie’s secret hideouts. Unbelieving that they successfully achieved their objective, they must now inhabit the safe house with Marques for the next 24 hours until they receive further instructions. But when Marques begins toying with each of them individually, with offers of money and wealth in return for his release, they begin to question their allegiance, not just to each other, but to Eddie as well, a man who could have them shot dead in an instant and not skip a beat. As the night extends into the early morning hours, tensions flare and personalities clash and when Eddie appears and orders them to kill Marques, the friends must make a stand or risk losing not just their friendship, but their lives too.
“Criminal Activities” is infused with so many different sub-genres pertaining to the story at hand, it sometimes loses its primary focus but director Jackie Earle Haley deftly proves his knowledge of these categories and always manages to bring the film back on track. The cast is always engaging and while the marketing for the movie shows John Travolta center stage, he is nothing more than a glorified cameo but when he is present, he sashays into every scene, accompanied by his world-famous swagger, injecting personality traits from some of his previous characters, Vincent Vega and Tony Manero, and lifts the story from ordinary to extraordinary.
Available on Blu-ray & DVD February 16th
