Caught Stealing – Film Review

Director – Darren Aronofsky
Writer – Charlie Huston
Stars – Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz

The year is 1998, and Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) is a failed baseball player who works in a bar to pay the bills. He has a drinking problem and occasionally goes on wild nights. His sometimes girlfriend, Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz), is trying to keep him on the straight and narrow. One night on his way home, he meets his neighbour, Russ (Matt Smith), in the hall of his apartment block. Russ is travelling home to England as his Dad is ill, and he forces Hank to look after his cat. Shortly after, all hell breaks loose as Hank is caught in a dangerous world, as a collection of gangsters comes looking for Russ.

Yes, it’s a ‘mobsters chasing a bag of money’ film, which has echoes of films such as Fargo, True Romance and Pulp Fiction. The most surprising element is that it’s directed by Aronofsky, who is known as a ‘visionary director’ and tends to create more difficult films than this relatively light-hearted affair.

There is an impressive ensemble cast, as we see Hank caught between two warring tribes, with the police offering some hope of salvation. Orthodox Jewish brothers/ mobsters, Lipa (Liev Schreiber) and Shmully (Vincent D’Onofrio), make a real impression with their short appearance. Regina King plays the hard-hitting narcotics cop, Detective Roman. Matt Smith adds depth to the likeable punk/ drug dealer Russ. Any of these characters would deserve a film in their own right.

Initially, the film struggles to find its feet, but as it develops, it becomes very engaging with its collection of oddball characters. It’s a caper movie, so you’re left on the edge of your seat throughout, trying to figure out how Hank can escape the world he has fallen into. There’s nothing particularly original about it, and it owes a debt to Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, but you’ll leave the cinema with a smile on your face.