This week’s film is “Caught Stealing,” a dark thriller written by Charlie Huston, who adapts the screenplay from his crime novel of the same title, and is directed by Darren Aronofsky.
Set in New York City in the raucous 1990s, the film stars Austin Butler as Hank, a down and out bartender trying to make ends meet after losing his chance to become a professional baseball player. Zoë Kravitz plays his girlfriend, who is tired of Hank’s inability to move on from life’s disappointments.
Their domestic squabble is immediately amplified when Hank’s punk-rock neighbor, Russ, deposits his cat at Hank’s doorstep. Russ claims he needs to return to England to visit his sick father and just needs the cat looked after for a few days. However, Russ is in trouble with the Russian mob and orthodox Jewish gangsters who believe the cat and Hank are hiding something of great value from them.
Regina King initially is outstanding as a tough-as-nails NY detective trying to help Hank extricate himself from the case of mistaken identity. Austin Butler showcases additional range beyond his cool-as-a-cat, pretty-boy personas in “The Bikeriders” and “Elvis.” His performance brings both vulnerability and empathy to Hank’s determination to survive life’s curveballs.
So, on my ski trail rating system, “Caught Stealing” earns my intermediate BLUE ski trail rating. Austin Butler’s gritty performance and Darren Aronofsky’s kinetic pacing make for an entertaining thriller. It is too bad lazy writing and characters we’ve seen too many times before weigh down the fun.
Regina King, Zoë Kravitz and the cat deserve better opportunities to showcase their screen presence, and when their roles are trivialized, the film descends into dumb kid being chased by dumber criminals. While the fast pace delivers a rollercoaster of action sequences, the film’s absurdity becomes a distraction rather than an accelerant of attempted humor or the ride.
“Caught Stealing” is playing locally at Megaplex at Park City, with a run-time of one hour and forty-seven minutes. The film is rated R for strong violence, language, sexuality, drug use and horrifically dull stereotypes.
