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 To
quote The Rolling Stones, "You can't always get what you want, but
if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need."
Unfortunately for nice guy Jon Favreau, that's the lesson he learns
the hard way in "Made," his impressive directorial debut and his first
film with co-star Vince Vaughn since 1996's "Swingers." There's no
doubt that "Made" is an engaging, funny, and totally absorbing alternative
to the blockbuster mentality that's currently melting brains at the
local cineplex, but what really sets it apart from the rest of the
summer fodder is the remarkable chemistry between Vaughn and Favreau.
Bobby (Jon
Favreau) and Ricky (Vince Vaughn) are aspiring boxers--and lifelong
friends--who are forced to do menial jobs to make a living. Bobby
is desperate to get his stripper girlfriend (Famke Jansen) out of
debt, and Ricky...well, he's just desperate. They take part in a
money laundering scheme that will pay them a lot of cash, but before
they know it, they're in over their heads in the criminal underworld
of New York. A job that should have been a cinch gets progressively
worse--thanks in part to Ricky's big mouth--and Bobby has to bide
his time if he is going to fulfill his obligations and get out of
New York in one piece.
Anyone who's
seen "Swingers" remembers the now infamous scene where Jon Favreau's
character leaves countless messages on the answering machine of
a girl he met at a bar. It's one of the funniest scenes in the movie,
but it's also one of the most uncomfortable. Try to imagine a whole
movie like that, and there you have "Made." This time around, it's
Vince Vaughn's character who provides that level of humor and discomfort,
if for no other reason than because he can't keep his big mouth
shut.
Thanks to
an incredible amount of chemistry between Vaughn and Favreau, "Made"
could easily qualify as "The Odd Couple" of the 21st Century. Even
though they get on each other's nerves, there's no doubt that these
two friends would do anything for each other (and trust me, they
do). Just as he did in "Swingers," Vaughn commands the screen and
has some of the best lines in the movie, but unlike his character
from "Swingers," he just doesn't have a clue. Jon Favreau is just
as effective, but in a completely different way. Where Vaughn takes
center stage and gives what just may be the performance of his brief
career, Favreau is much more understated as he tries to do what's
right.
The supporting
performances are brief, but just as effective as they complement
Vaughn and Favreau. Peter Falk plays Favreau's crooked boss with
a soft-spoken demeanor (at least, he's soft spoken until you piss
him off), while Famke Jansen plays Favreau's hopeless girlfriend.
Also, keep an eye out for Sean "Puffy" Combs, who makes an effective
big screen debut as the New York thug who holds the loot for the
score.
In closing,
I'd like to quote another song. This one's by The Beatles, and it
goes, "Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting,
my friends." When all is said and done, Favreau's Bobby learns that
lesson as well, and even though he may not realize it at the time,
he ultimately gets what he deserves. Despite the fact that Vince
Vaughn gets on your nerves after a while, "Made" has an effective
payoff, and it ends up as a surprisingly heartwarming film. In other
words--and as their characters in "Swingers" were so fond of saying--it's
so "money" that it's definitely worth the price of admission.
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