Caught Stealing

“if you run away from what you’re afraid of, then it owns you.” weapons, superman, sinners, friendship; these were all movies i kind of had a hunch that i would love them. caught stealing was a film i thought i would enjoy but not adore. i adored it. darren aronofsky has crafted a superb crime thrill ride that cannot stop spiraling out of control, perfectly mirroring the struggles of the protagonist of this story, hank. the film follows hank (austin butler) and his unfortunate jumbling with jewish and russian gangsters and his slimy, punk rock neighbor, russ (matt smith). hank is a former baseball player who is tormented by a drunken car accident that ended the life of his best friend and his shot at the big leagues. it is 1998 lower east side manhattan and hank is a bartender that has given up driving, his family (they live back in california), and playing baseball. the thing he didn’t give up? alcohol, the true cause of his self-loathing and unhappiness. despite having a loyal girlfriend, played by the excellent zoë kravitz, he cannot seem let go of his past and begin a new and committed journey with her. russ puts the responsibility of his cat upon hank for a few days and his absence causes the shady aspects of russ’s life to enter hank’s. the russian gangsters as well as the jewish gangsters that constantly torture and harm him serve as allusions to the toll alcohol is taking on him and even losing a kidney cannot prevent hank from trying to hide behind the beer bottles. i have gone deep enough into the plot and i want to make sure i do not spoil, however, i detail this set up because i think it is such a simple concept that is executed to perfection. hank cannot seem to grasp on what his priorities should be and it affects the relationships he holds dearest. the ensemble here knocks it out of the park, pun intended. austin butler is this generation’s a-lister. the performance here just oozes confidence and blockbuster movie star. the range of emotions he showcases is vast but the thing that stood out to me most was the body language he conveyed. it was the little touches. the alcohol withdrawal jitters, the baseball player reflexes; they all contributed to this fully realized lead character that the audience could empathize with and understand the struggles of. his chemistry with zoë kravitz is excellent and they definitely have fun with it while staying true to their characters. why can the shirt and pants come off but the sf giants hat cannot? because go giants. matt smith is a wild yet perfect choice for russ, rocking the ridiculous mohawk and studded leather jacket of 90s punk london fashion. narcissistic and a sharp tongue, he is a memorably hilarious aspect of this film. speaking of memorable, you cannot talk about this movie without talking about bud the cat. i’m definitely a dog person but i loved bud! i loved the parallels it shared with hank, how despite appearing and acting soft, it had teeth and wasn’t afraid to bite. other honorable mentions include bad bunny, regina king, and liev schreiber in this awesome cast. this film is paced so frantically, yet it is so clear and easy to follow and the cinematography and visuals reflect that. lots of really cool filmmaking on display and you can just see the experience aronofsky has on screen. it is so refreshing to see him tackle a more lively production that doesn’t stagnate in the sorrow. he embraces the rollercoaster and even manages to stick the landing, with the themes coming full circle. i feel like similar movies that run this chaotically cannot seem to find a clear message and satisfy by the time the credits roll. with the film taking place in 1998 new york, i am glad to report that the soundtrack absolutely slaps. british punk band, idles, took the reigns on this film and their tracks elevated the film’s style and intrigue substantially. the frenzied and unhinged nature of punk fit perfectly to the themes and style of this film. this is what i want out of a summer blockbuster and as much as i like marvel and these multi-million dollar productions, i feel like i’d rather see six movies like this instead of one fantastic four. “i love you mom. go giants.”