STORM THE CASTLE: a review of "Tower Heist"

“TOWER HEIST”
Story by Adam Cooper & Bill Collage and Ted Griffin
Screenplay Written by Ted Griffin and Jeff Nathanson
Directed by Brett Ratner
*** (three stars)

Talk about the right movie at the right time.

As the class warfare between the respective members of the 99% and the top 1% of this country wages onwards and with no apparent signs of ceasing anytime soon, Director Brett Ratner has arrived with “Tower Heist,” a hugely entertaining and most topical caper comedy that I feel will assist to alleviate some of the rancor that continues to permeate our society. Aiding Ratner in his cinematic quest for comedic gold is an excellent all star cast including the grand return of Eddie Murphy as the type of fast talking, streetwise character we have not seen him perform on screen in far too long.

I realize when most cinephiles hear the name of “Brett Ratner,” they cringe as horrifically within their cinema adoring bones just as violently as I do whenever I hear the name “Michael Bay” attached to absolutely anything that involved a movie camera. Granted, Ratner is not the first filmmaker I would think of in regards to achieving any sort of cinematic artistry, no matter the genre. There are very few films of his that I have actually liked yet I must say that any of my personal criticisms are tossed out of the window whenever I watch either of the first two of his “Rush Hour” movies. While more than a little impersonal, Brett Ratner is indeed a surprisingly strong craftsman. Although “Tower Heist” does not touch the gold standards set by films like John Landis’ social comedy classic “Trading Places” (1983), Mike Judge’s cubical satire “Office Space” (1999) or Steven Soderbergh’s outstanding “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001), Ratner, along with his screenwriters and entire cast, has delivered what may be his best effort to date.

Ben Stiller stars as Queens native Josh Kovacs, the diligent manager of an exclusive high-rise complex called “The Tower” (obviously a stand in for Trump Towers). Kovacs is respected by his clients as well as his staff, which includes Concierge and expectant Father, Charlie Gibbs (Casey Affleck), newly hired bellhop Enrique (Michael Pena), Jamaican maid Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe) and retiring doorman Lester (Stephen Henderson). The most notable resident of The Towers is wealthy businessman Arthur Shaw (a terrifically duplicitous and unctuous Alan Alda) who has befriended Kovacs on the basis of their respective working class roots.

One day, Kovacs and the tenacious FBI agent Claire Denham (Tea Leoni) catch Arthur Shaw attempting to fee New York City because it has been revealed that he has been accused of a Ponzi scheme a la Bernie Madoff. To make mattes more personal for Kovacs and the working class staff of The Towers, Kovacs had once authorized Shaw to invest the complete sum of their respective pension funds and now, it appears that Shaw has lost every single penny.

Arthur Shaw is eventually placed under house arrest in his penthouse apartment while Kovacs and his friends, which now includes the disgraced and destitute Wall Street financier Mr. Fitzhugh (a petulantly persnickety Matthew Broderick), decide to plot the ultimate caper: to steal Shaw’s safety net of $20 million dollars from his apartment.

To assist the rag tag and completely unprepared crew for their crime, which they hope to enact during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Kovacs turns to childhood acquaintance and current petty thief Slide (Eddie Murphy) for counsel and assistance.

With “Tower Heist,” Brett Ratner has made a lean, fast paced, highly efficient, clean, clear-eyed comedy filled with smart, sharp screenwriting, and well-staged, choreographed and executed action set pieces. Despite the fact that it is a comedy, I have to say that I actually did not laugh that much, perhaps due to the fact that so many of the film’s best jokes are all included in the film’s trailer. Even so, my enjoyment of the film as a whole was not dampened because Ratner, his screenwriters and his entire cast operated in complete creative and comedic lockstep. Ratner created a world that was grounded within a certain reality, the characters all seemed to function as realistic human beings with realistic problems, ambitions, and foibles, all character motivations were cleanly and clearly established as well as adhered to throughout the entire story. In regards to the actual caper itself, it all felt to be somewhat plausible for a story such as this one. And while I realize that some plot holes may arrive if I think about it too long, the story felt emotionally true as Ratner gave us a collective of characters we cannot help but to identify with and root for.

Recently, I have written some reviews where I have complained about the lack of a consistent tone which made for erratic experiences of varying quality overall. My hat is indeed taken off to Ratner for always ensuring that the story and characters of “Tower Heist” remained consistent with itself from the very first frame to the final image. His casting for this project is impeccable. I greatly appreciated how Ben Stiller eschewed his standard put upon nebbish role by taking full and convincing command not only as the hotel manager but also as the criminal mastermind. We can see his sense of responsibility for the people who worked for him and the guilt he carries for inadvertently playing a part in all of them losing every cent they rightfully and honestly earned. I especially loved the early sequence that pits him against Alan Alda and places his character’s prized Ferrari (supposedly once owned by Steve McQueen) front and center. The righteous anger felt justifiably real while also containing moments designed to have any 99% per centers in the audience raise the roof in applause. Yet, Ratner never forgets that he’s first and foremost a showman and that sequence is expertly staged, convincingly written and it hits all of the right acting beats and comic motivations.

The entire cast not only fully embody their roles, they completely work together beautifully as a well-oiled team. “Tower Heist” is not one of those shameless paycheck movies where an all star cast is placed upon the screen solely to try an ensure behemoth box office receipts, all with little to no acting effort involved. In “Tower Heist,” every participant came to work…or play, for that matter and the collective camaraderie shows, instilling tremendous warmth and again, affording the audience a group of people to root for. Eddie Murphy in particular should be noted for his efforts, as he, never for an instant, attempts to steal the movie for himself-although whenever he opens his mouth, the whole movie is his. Murphy reminds us once again how skilled of an actor and therefore, a team player he actually is and it is a tremendous pleasure to be able to witness the unquestionable and completely unique talent he is and possesses. Of course, his character of Slide is meant to have us recall his classic characters of Axel Foley from the “Beverly Hills Cop” series, Billy Ray Valentine from “Trading Places” and certainly, Reggie Hammond from Director Walter Hill’s “48 Hrs.” (1982), Murphy’s astonishing film debut and for my money, it still remains his best film and performance to date. But, this is no toothless throwback as Slide completely works as a real contemporary 21st century character within the world of “Tower Heist”

And yet, I gave this film only three stars. albeit a strong three stars as this is rock solid entertainment that never truly strikes any false notes throughout. I suppose that in some aspects, Ratner’s desires and talents as a craftsman and showman somehow undercut any certain creative risks that would have made this film a true standout. He is a crowd pleaser and certainly wants to get the most for his buck. Let’s be real, “Tower Heist” is designed to be a big budget holiday comedy. So, any humor that is raunchier, more savage or dangerous, that is the humor that would most certainly afford this PG 13 rated film an R rating, would have to be excised to not offend or alienate the masses. I can understand that but it is also a bit of a shame as I could imagine what an edgier filmmaker would or could do with similar material. What kind of comedic teeth could be viciously bared for a story such as this one, especially one that has arrived during this extremely contentious period in our nation’s history. I missed those teeth, and the qualities that have made films like “Trading Places,” “Office Space” and “Ocean’s Eleven” endure. The lack of those edgier qualities made “Tower Heist” a somewhat safer experience and I don’t think that a story like this needs to be safe.

That said, there is indeed a worthy anger in this comedy along with a sense of community and togetherness that affords “Tower Heist” a substantial amount of good cheer. Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy and the entire cast, from the main players to the supporting members, instill brains, heart and especially in the case of Stephen Henderson, some much needed soul!

Like I said, “Tower Heist” is the right movie at the right time. Not the best one…but the right one, all the same.