While films have asked their audiences to sympathize with mobsters before, none have been so focused on the downside of the mob being a family business like “”Knockaround Guys.”” This film follows four 20-somethings on their journey into the “”real world.”” The film opens as Matty Demaret (Berry Pepper) is turned down at a job interview for his dream job. His infamous last name means that he has no real shot at legitimacy, and when he turns to his father to take the family reigns, he is turned away because he is trigger shy.
The film tries to get the audience to sympathizes with Matty, whose dreams were stolen from him by his father a long time ago. The sympathy comes hard, however, when Matty’s father (Dennis Hopper) asks, “”What do you have to complain about? You drive a Cadillac.”” Stuck as most 20-somethings in films tend to be, “”Knockaround Guys”” is all about what Matty does to earn his father’s trust and break into the world of illegitimacy.
This film’s script was the sophomore arrival from the team that brought about the cult hit “”Rounders.”” While the script struggles from trying to play off too many themes, it does a good job of incorporating all of the film’s star power. With a cast that engages the comic hijinks of Seth Green, the quirky brilliance of both John Malkovich and Hopper, and one serious beating via Vin Diesel, “”Knockaround Guys”” is sure to have a little of something for everyone.
All of these performances are diversions from a film that rests on the shoulders of Pepper. While Pepper does his job well, he is short an intelligent script to work with. “”Knockaround Guys”” lacks the inteligence that made “”Rounders”” a
standout film.
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Malkovich stated, “”I liked the screenplay for ‘Rounders’ very much. And with this, I liked the story and the characters.””
The themes that are the film’s saving grace all stem from Matty’s character. He struggles to help his friends, please his father and find a place for himself in a world that doesn’t take him seriously. Since the majority of the story takes place in a small city in Montana, “”Knockaround Guys”” relays that there are worse people on this earth than mobsters: white trash. A series of backstabbings leads to the conclusion, however, that there probably isn’t a less trustworthy group. Vin Diesel’s character states that most guys in this business end up with “”life in prison or a bullet in the back of the head.””
The film most sharply falls off from the gangster genre with its focus on human emotion. Malkovich’s character says, “”there used to be a way to get things done, now everyone’s feelings are involved.”” This is true of the film itself. It tries to hard to explore too many complex emotions in 90 minutes. It lands a number of jabs, but lacks a knockout punch. While “”Knockaround Guys”” is worth the ticket price, most people won’t want to see the rematch.
Knockaround Guys
***
Starring Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Seth Green
In theaters Oct. 11
Rated R
