The Writer's Life 3/28 - Pain & Gain

The first 20 minutes or so of Pain and Gain (2014), which I watched last night courtesy of Netflix, present a likeable lead character, a hard-working young man who thirsts for the American dream. From there it evolves into a downward spiral of a guy losing patience and choosing crime to get what he wants. The story is based on true events that occurred in Miami. Three dummies, bodybuilders, kidnap and murder. Since the trio were probably completely despicable in real life, the screenwriters chose black comedy instead of drama. Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Mackie and Duane Johnson are the leads and comport themselves as well as can be expected. Johnson, who gained fame in the square circle as The Rock, is the best aspect of the film. I’d never seen more than five minutes or so of his screen work at a time. I was completely surprised by his acting chops. He has shown far more skill than all the other wrestlers who have gone from the ring to movies. If this had been an original story and the characters entirely fictional -- or simply been given different names -- I would have respected it more. The flick is amusing and its two hours-plus never drags. And there is solid support from Hollywood vets Ed Harris, Tony Shalhoub and Mike Rispoli. Unfortunately, it makes light of heinous real life crimes. Someone who uses the tag Brontay at the IMDb commentary section, said: “…Guess it’s time for Manson family values…” Michael Bay, who was at the helm for The Transformers series, directed. I’ve seen only four of his 20 films, and have not liked any, despite the immense popularity of the other three. He has been a huge money-maker for the industry. Made on a budget of 26 million, Pain and Gain brought in almost 50 million in the states alone. 136,000+ users have rated the film at IMDb, forging to a consensus of 6.5 of ten. On a scale of five, I rate it 2.5.


Some sessions of the floating book shop are surprising. That was the case today on Bay Parkway. I bagged the lead parking spot on 85th St., a rarety when the bank is open. I had to lug the crates only 20 yards. I also had to keep an eye on the car, which was inches from the crosswalk but 13 rather than the required 15 feet from the hydrant. The lone traffic guy who showed didn't even give it a look. He did ticket the SUV right behind me, whose meter ticket must have expired. I'd been expecting unfriendly weather, raw cold and wind. Conditions were benign, pleasant. My thanks to the kind folks who made purchases, and to Jack of Chase, who exited the building carrying an armload of books. I'd expected ten or so. There were more than 20. On a somber note, Dennis visited and said he'd fallen off the wagon. Having no experience in such a matter, all I could wish him was good luck. A few moments after he left, a middle aged woman staggered by and asked, in a heavy Russian accent, about the flea market. I'd seen her pass scores of times, apparently sober, and she'd never addressed me. I hope it was a rarity for her.

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

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Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

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