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    Triple 9

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

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    I was unsure what to make of “Triple 9” when it began. I like crime thrillers and stories about thieves putting together a big plan to steal something that’s hard to get, but I don’t typically buy into films that revolve around criminals unless they have some kind of code of honour. If I wouldn’t give the time of day to these people, the last thing I want to do is spend an hour and a half plus getting to know all of their criminal ways. But this film won me over precisely for that reason. It’s a heist movie with a lot of tension because you DON’T want to see the thieves succeed in the end. It’s a very interesting take on the genre.

    5 men rob a bank and take with them a safety deposit box. Criminals Michael (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Russel (Norman Reedus) and his brother Gabe (Aaron Paul) are accompanied by two corrupt cops: Marcus (Anthony Mackie) and Franco (Clifton Collins, Jr.) Delivering the package to the mob, they learn that they won’t get paid unless they retrieve data to accompany the item they’ve stolen, data that’s locked away in a government office. To keep the city’s police distracted while they pull off this second job they’ll need something big. The answer is a Triple 9, the police code for an officer down.

    There’s no doubt about it, the protagonists in this film are awful people. They’re thieves, they terrorize anyone in the way of their goal and they have no love for each other (and would likely double cross each other at the first opportunity) If you’re close to any of these five, you’d better do your best to get out of town as soon as possible lest you get accidentally wrapped up in their business. If these people were the only ones the picture was focussing on, it’d get tiresome quick. That’s where Marcus’ new police partner Chris (Casey Affleck) comes in. He’s a genuinely good cop. A little rough around the edges maybe, but you have to be when you see what kind of missions he and his co-workers are sent on. His introduction gives a jolt of energy to the picture. You want to see the heist play out because anyone can appreciate professionals at work. I’ll also admit that to a certain extent the film did make me care about some of these dirt bags once I learned more about them. On the other hand, you don’t want them to kill an innocent police officer in order to profit from it, certainly not the one they have their eyes on, Chris. That’s just wrong. It’s a movie where you want the protagonists to fail because they’re bad guys but a complete failure is no good either because you know that will end in a full-on bloodbath. I haven’t this approach to a crime thriller before, or if I have it’s been too long to remember. It got me interested.

    In addition to the heist, there are some exciting action scenes throughout. You watch Chris and Marcus as they perform their regular police duties, which are no simple tasks. Busting criminals and getting into shootouts, is thrilling stuff, particularly when you don’t know if you want the two men to live. Marcus could get shot in the line of duty and I wouldn’t care so much since as far as I’m concerned corrupt police are even worse than the criminals they apprehend. Then again if there’s anyone involved in the group of thieves that’s got a conscience, it’s him and if there’s a way to blow the lid on the operation without anyone getting hurt, it’ll be through this guy. Alternatively, if Chris gets injured enough that he would be hospitalized for a couple of days, it might not be so bad. The villains wouldn’t be able to carry out their plan and that would be a victory for the audience, but I doubt that would deter them completely from killing a police officer to collect their money. It’s a nice little game we’ve got going here. Woody Harrelson plays a prominent role as a senior detective that’s hot on the trail of the thieves, meaning on top of the main plot with it’s own deadline, you’ve got another ticking clock thrown in.

    The more I’ve thought about the picture, the more the ending sits uneasy with me. Some aspects of it are satisfying, but other actions are very questionable. “Triple 9” is one of those movies where the characters involved know in the back of their head that they’re in a movie and that no matter how crazy their actions are, there won’t be any consequences later because once the end credits start rolling, the story end. It likely won’t bother you the way it did me though because for the most part, it ties things up nicely.

    I was unsure about “Triple 9” at first, but as the film progressed and all of the little moving pieces were exposed to me, I became interested in seeing where everything was going. I enjoyed the mix of wildly different characters working together on a goal that I had very mixed feelings about, but was meant to. There’s good tension and paranoia throughout. The action is exciting as well. Despite a rocky finish, this film was a pleasant surprise. (Theatrical version on the big screen, February 27, 2016)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  1.3.2016 age: 26-35 2,866 reviews

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