The day after I saw this film, my cat died. So, yeah, good memories. But apart from that, what did I actually think of Darren Aronofsky’s segue into new (for him) territory?
These days, it seems like the highest compliment you can give a new movie is, “It felt like a real movie.” Caught Stealing feels like a real movie and, in spite of a few flaws, a pretty darn good one at that. Gritty, funny, excellently acted. And most importantly, fun. A nostalgic callback to the ’90s and all that was great about that decade in film. For example, strong leading men under 50, unapologetic sensuality, and un-stylized, gritty violence.
CAUGHT STEALING – Official Trailer (HD)
Since the film’s already on VOD streaming (because nothing stays in theaters longer than two weeks these days), I’m not going to go into the plot too much. Suffice to say, New York, 1998. Hank Thompson (Austin Butler), a former baseball star now washed-up, semi-alcoholic bartender, gets punked by his British neighbor (Matt Smith), who asks him to cat-sit and then disappears, leaving Hank holding a mysterious key that everyone, from crazy Russian thugs to Puerto Rican criminals to Hasidic gangsters, wants. Now Hank’s got to man up and navigate this sudden explosion of violence he finds himself caught in, while keeping himself, his loved ones, and the cat alive.
The film starts loud and never really lets up, which is both a strength and a weakness. The tension is real, and the action punches hard. On the other hand, at an hour and forty-seven minutes, we don’t have much time for deep character or world development. The New York the film portrays is grimy, seedy, and colorful, but we never feel truly immersed in it.
The acting is excellent all around. Austin Butler is true movie star material, with the looks, charisma, and surprising versatility, which is all very refreshing in this age of unnaturally low testosterone levels. We like his Hank, a quintessential nice boy, while still getting a clear view of his flaws. But we never really feel what he’s thinking as he hurtles along. The supporting cast is also great. Matt Smith, sporting piercings and a mohawk as Russ, is a colorful, sleazy creation we’d like to see more of, but he kind of comes and goes with the script. Then there are the Hasidic gangster brothers, played to perfection by Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio, exuding menace and odd charm right up to the final brutal moment. That Shabbat dinner scene really could’ve been longer. And of course, we could’ve always used more of that cat.
Surprisingly, Darren Aronofsky (whose other work I’m not familiar with) says he thinks films are a uniting force and that people from “both sides of the political spectrum” will relate to Hank as an ordinary American hero. I can honestly say he has succeeded. There is no “message” in this film, no “deconstruction,” and the only themes are entirely universal: protecting the innocent, overcoming your demons, and letting go of the past. Masculinity is certainly never put down here.
Hank is a nice guy, good-hearted but an avoider, like many of us, keeping his head down, thinking the bad stuff will just wash over you if you’re “ordinary,” always running from the hard truth, until he can’t run anymore. When he decides not just to survive, but to stand and fight, when he realizes he can’t keep his hands clean… well, it’s the oldest theme in the world. And that is shockingly refreshing these days. Maybe Hollywood will learn from this. Since the movie wasn’t much of a financial success, I very much doubt it. Actually, even if it had been successful, I still doubt they’d learn anything.
But at least the cat lives.
***
English (US) · 