Pain and Gain (2013) – Film Review

 

 

 

 

 

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris
Directed by Michael Bay

There are two kinds of filmgoers in the world – Those that like Michael Bay and those that laugh manically at his very mention.  At least I am convinced that is what Michael Bay and all of his critics believe.  For the last 15 years, Bay has been blowing stuff up real good with his patented blend of quick-cut action, material excess and cheap thrills.  For some, this means he is a hack of a director, but for the millions entertained by his films – this means he gives people exactly what they want.

Generally you can count me in the corner of a Bay appreciator.  I love the Bad Boys series, like Armageddon quite a bit and The Rock (the real one) is one of the best all-around action films of the last 20 years.  His films are never art-house cinema, but they are perfect popcorn entertainment.  Films meant to make people stop thinking, sit back and relish in whatever mayhem he concocts on screen.  These films are necessary, as not everything needs to be art and people need films that just allow them to enjoy the surroundings.  Pain & Gain is not one of those films.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Daniel Lugo, a fitness trainer obsessed with the falsity that is the American Dream.  He wants the happiness, fame and heightened reality that comes with being filthy rich.  His only problem is that he does not want to work too hard for it.  Lugo concocts a plan to kidnap douchebag businessman Victor Kershaw (Monk’s Tony Shalhoub) and torture him until he agrees to sign over everything he owns.

Lugo partners up with fellow gym enthusiasts Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and recently paroled Paul Doyle (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) to perform his genius get-rich-quick plan and the film spends a good portion of the film showcasing the ensuing torture and humiliation of Kershaw necessary to finally succeed.  Of course once Kershaw escapes multiple attempted murders, he enlists retired PI Ed DuBois (Ed Harris) to come to his aid and return his fortune to him.  The film then follows as the outcome spirals out of control and another plan is necessary to bail them out of ruin.

First things first – Is the film good?  No.  Well, yes.  Aaaaand no.  It is hard to determine because, unlike most Michael Bay films, Pain & Gain has zero idea what kind of movie it really wants to be.  Is it a satire?  Comedy?  Crime flick?  No one seems to know as the film switch-hits from every possible vantage point, never really settling on a single point-of-view.  One minute you are laughing with glee, the next something deplorable happens and you forget what you are watching.  It is almost like Bay had 2 months off and wanted to recreate his entire filmography into one single narrative.  The only thing missing was a giant robot hunting Ewan McGregor in downtown Miami.

All of this is a shame because the film is full of solid performances.  Wahlberg is the most rounded character he’s played since Dirk Diggler.  Shalhoub is supposed to be a prick, and he nails it, though his character seems to have very few endearing qualities which make his character a little too one-note.  Harris and Mackie both do exactly what they were brought there to do, solid performances but nothing to elevate the film.  Even Rebel Wilson, Rob Corddry and Ken Jeong show up and manage to not fall into insufferable ad-libbing.

All of those decent performances are nothing compared to The Rock though.  I have long contested that Dwayne Johnson is not a leading man, but he is one hell of a solid supporting character and his role here is proof positive as he nearly single-handedly saves the film.  His Paul Doyle is a man who is trying to find God and save his soul, until he goes too far and switches into full coked-out, stripper banging mode.  Both sides of his role here are more interesting and layered than his last 5 starring roles combined.  Something about not having to hold the film on his shoulders always seems to free Johnson and would love to see this performance in a better movie.

If this was a Cohen film, with the same performances, I believe this could be some kind of twisted masterpiece.  There is little doubt that Michael Bay can deliver audience pleasing spectacle and there are some genuinely genius lines, performances and shots in this film.  But the overall tone here is too far over the map and the film is easily 30 minutes too long.  He wants to remind you throughout the film this is based on a true story, yet Bay rarely takes the material seriously and seems to have no sympathy for any of the victims.  One could easily argue he is telling the film strictly from the perpetrators points-of-view…except that he breaks from that to showcase other points too often for that argument to hold.

Pain & Gain is a film with some fun bits, but a lot of identity crisis.  Even one of The Rock’s best performances cannot save the film from Bay’s own excess and this is not one I will recommend to paying audiences.

If $10 is the full price of admission, this one is worth $3.
Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider Podcast