Every Friday night, Movies.com sends cinephiles (and newlyweds) Sarah and Joe Piccirillo to see a film. Afterwards, they answer a few questions about it. Below is their discussion.
Synopsis: Partners Stig (Mark Wahlberg) and Bobby (Denzel Washington) are undercover agents from different branches of the government who are framed by their own organizations after a bank heist gone awry. Can the two clear their names and repair the bond that was broken during all that double-crossing? With Edward James Olmos, Bill Paxton and Paula Patton.
Was This a Good Date Movie?
Sarah: It is. It's not going to generate any great conversation, but it's fun, mindless, and stars good eye candy.
Joe: For my own ego, I’m going to assume you mean Edward James Olmos for eye candy. That said, this is a pretty good date movie. It pulls off the action-comedy angle pretty well. It’s like a funny Training Day, which is a good thing.
This Movie Has Some Big Names. How Was the Casting?
Joe: Denzel Washington delivers another solid performance – he even tries to elevate the material, and it’s almost sweet. Like watching Rembrandt agonize over his paint job on a Porta Potty.
Sarah: Wahlberg and Washington have good chemistry together and their banter is watchable even when it's dumb. I might have been annoyed with the same script done with different actors. They manage to save some pretty weak dialogue and make it fun.
Joe: Right. I was surprised by Wahlberg’s performance. He was really funny and dropped his usual “macho” act. Or maybe compared with the gravitas of Washington, he just looks neutered. I have to say that Bill Paxton is great at hamming it up as a villain. He dusts off his smarmy lothario act from True Lies and it still works.
Sarah: Edward James Olmos is so likeable that I have a hard time seeing him as a bad guy.
Joe: Yeah, he seemed too nice to be in the drug business; it was beneath him.
Sarah: No matter what he did I felt like they were all going to work things out over a beer.
Joe: Denzel’s love interest, Paula Patton, wasn’t great either. I read that she encouraged the director to shoot her topless for that bedroom scene of casual conversation. That’s a move by someone who’s admitting she can’t carry a scene on her own. It’s a smart way to divert attention away from her lack of expertise. I’m glad she’s just an actress and not a pilot. Or president.
What Did You Love?
Joe: I liked that I didn’t know what was going to happen from moment to moment. I’m not sure if that was due to expert writing and execution or my lack of real interest in the characters. It played like a really interesting Grand Theft Auto storyline. Since I was entertained, I don’t know if that’s insulting to the movie… or me.
Sarah: While I didn't hate anything about the movie, it would be a stretch to say there's anything I loved. What I liked most was that it didn't try to be deeper or smarter than it could be. Emotions, loss, internal struggle... they were all given the action movie treatment.
What Will You Be Thinking About Tomorrow?
Sarah: Absolutely nothing. This is not a movie that sticks with you. I did spend some time afterward trying to work through the plot but it's not something that holds up to much scrutiny. Everything wraps up with the neatness of a Tom & Jerry cartoon.
Joe: Yeah, but I liked that. I don’t want layers from this kind of movie. What stuck with me is how Stig was let down by his superiors every time he tried to bring something to them. I feel like the movie gets this right – how when you’re down, you really need to believe in the goodness of a corrupt system or someone within it. Most movies show guys going “rogue” after the first brush with a superior, but this felt real.
Verdict
Joe: This is a fun, entertaining popcorn movie that juggles comedy and action without being weighed down by romance. See it.
Sarah: It's not very smart, but it's not too dumb. It’s the perfect summer movie. See it.
Sarah and Joe are writers/editors who live in Boston. They met in a bar and married within a year. They love to argue about early Woody Allen films and old romantic comedies. They both agree to hate musicals.
