Triple 9

Triple 9 is a dark and gloomy story, which feels strongly inspired by Michael Mann's Heat. Unlike Heat, the film/script doesn't give the characters enough substance to make us care for their outcome in the film. The ordeals of the characters came and went without me feeling any real emotions towards any of them.

This isn't a bad movie but it's not brilliant. There are a few of gun battle/action periods that are really well shot and entertaining enough to keep you interested in the film as a whole. It's not too predictable but there are not enough shocks or tense moments that you would expect from a thriller.

Since The Proposition was unleashed on audiences back in 2005, Aussie filmmaker John Hillcoat has made a name for himself as an uncompromising and ambitious auteur, bringing together A-list casts for bleak and uneasy thrillers. His latest Hollywood effort – following The Road and Lawless – dives into the grubby underground of Atlanta, where corrupt cops, ruthless bank robbers and Russian mobsters are often one and the same. A nice world this ain't. There's an unrelenting grimness to this noir-ish street saga that generates the desired mood, and the high level of dread permeating throughout proceedings maintains tension despite a predictably death-happy final act. Yet Hillcoat struggles to fully wrangle Matt Cook's twisty-turny screenplay; what could've been an intriguing web of lies, double-crosses and daring crimes becomes a less believable concoction of coincidences, plot contrivances and dubious character choices. Taking a leaflet out of Michael Mann's book of realistic action, the handful of set pieces are executed with flair, precision and unwavering violence, with an extended gun fight at the halfway point harking back to Mann's own Heat (albeit without topping it). Unfortunately the film is also let down by its vast array of players. Other than Casey Affleck's honest but worn-down cop, everyone else is evil and unpleasant to varying degrees – and rarely more than a caricature – making it hard to care about their fates. Hillcoat's menacing tone and visual ferocity ensure a certain level of interest and entertainment, but narrative and character weaknesses stop Triple 9 from being essential viewing.

I am at a split when it comes to 'Triple 9'. On one end, there were few moments where I did enjoy the film. The actors are powerhouses and did what they could with the material given to them. Some plot points were interesting to me and had my attention and lastly, I am sure there is a certain symbolism behind the constant use of the color red that is shown in a high majority of scenes. On the other end, however, there was way too much I did not enjoy. From start to finish, I hardly understood any of the characters connections to anyone. They are explained in as little detail as possible. It just was not my cup of tea as far as understanding who the characters were and what was their purpose. Kate Winslet was absolutely atrocious to me. From her seemingly forced role to her forgetful "Russian accent" as she seemed to forget she was Russian at times speaking perfect English and bouncing back to an "accent". The fan- favorite star power of Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, Chiwetel Ejiofor and company was no where near enough to save this movie and draw enough of a crowd to make this movie even mistakenly good. Too many negatives and not enough positives. This movie is forgetful to me and nothing special. A few moments do not make up for a near two hours of confusion and plot holes.

Triple 9 is a worthy modern day crime drama with an always interesting premise of corrupt cops strong-armed by mobsters to do the unthinkable. Under John Hillcoat's direction, the film's backdrop is grim & punishing, in tune with its themes where morals are an afterthought & survival comes bleak. The resulting events & action are absolutely well shot, unexpectedly visually creative, brutal, and best of all, authentic as hell, accounting for the film's best & most heart-racing moments. The violence & brooding suspense is held together by a score (& well placed absence of it) that amps the danger as one that lurks around the corner till it explodes to guns blazing chaos.

As for our leads, the characters & the ensemble cast behind them are another bright spots of the film. Props to Chiwetel Ejiofor, who's anguished persona was the best he has ever been. Anthony Mackie & Clifton Collins Jr were standouts as well, with the former deftly portraying the street wise, money-grubbing not so finest, & the latter stealing scenes with his menacing dead eyes & boorish nature.

As for the film's weak points, though Kate Winslet conveys cold hearted bad assery, her Russian accent was flat out laughable, randomly vanishing & surfacing within the same spiel. The narrative is as well too convoluted for its own good, rendering the final acts as one gigantic head scratching plot hole.

Overall, while Triple 9's shortcomings hinder the film from being great, the perfectly executed action & the excellence of its ensemble ensures a solid watch.

I'll make this short and sweet.

I really wanted to like this movie. With its insanely talented cast, this should have been way better than it actually was. It is well acted, and the cast did the best they could with the material given to them.

However, it all gets lost in what tries to be a convoluted plot. This wants to be a really good heist movie (with very well executed action scenes, granted), but in reality it is just a sub-par, predictable action movie filled with your run of the mill, dirty cop dialogue filling the scenes trying to move the plot forward. Rent it for a rainy evening, but don't expect anything you haven't already seen.