This publish accommodates minor spoilers for “Caught Stealing.”
Darren Aronofsky is many issues. He is been working as a director in Hollywood for practically 30 years now, relationship again to his low-budget breakthrough 1998 debut function “Pi.” He is directed the likes of Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”) and Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) to Oscars. Aronofsky has made a number of the most acclaimed and most divisive movies of the final 25 years, together with the legendarily divisive “Mom!” which earned a particularly uncommon F CinemaScore. However there’s one factor that Aronofsky has just about by no means been as a filmmaker: enjoyable.
That’s, till now.
After directing an adaptation of Samuel Hunter’s play “The Whale” for A24 in 2022, Aronofsky determined to significantly change gears for his follow-up, which is now in theaters within the type of “Caught Stealing.” It is a breezy, tense, at instances attractive crime caper led by Austin Butler (“Elvis”) with a wonderful surrounding ensemble together with the likes of Zoe Kravitz (“The Batman”), Matt Smith (“Physician Who”), and even music celebrity Dangerous Bunny. Extra importantly than any of that although, Aronofsky, arguably for the primary time ever, has made a enjoyable film.
It facilities on a burned-out ex-baseball participant Hank Thompson (Butler) who’s working as a bartender in New York Metropolis within the ’90s. His life is straightforward, and he is making an attempt to navigate his budding relationship along with his girlfriend Yvonne (Kravitz). When Hank’s punker neighbor asks him to observe his cat, he unwittingly winds up tangled within the internet of the town’s legal underbelly. Chaos ensues.
I beforehand touched on the funness of “Caught Stealing” in my overview of the movie, however it’s one thing I felt compelled to increase upon. It is the factor that sat with me essentially the most after having a long way from my preliminary viewing. Aronofsky is an unquestionably gifted filmmaker, however it will be tough to accuse him of usually making nice and/or historically fulfilling viewing experiences. He is not one for popcorn escapism. Thus, it is fairly exceptional how rattling good he’s at exercising that enjoyable muscle greater than 25 years into his directing profession.
Darren Aronofsky normally makes motion pictures that problem audiences
“Requiem for a Dream” is a harrowing film and considered one of Aronofsky’s best. It is also unflinching and difficult to observe. It is most likely a kind of “I liked it and I am going to by no means watch it once more” motion pictures for many folks. “The Fountain” is a particular epic. Even those that like it could not rightfully accuse it of being enjoyable, per se.
Then there’s Aronofsky’s character items. “The Wrestler” is a harrowing take a look at the game of wrestling with a exceptional efficiency by Mickey Rourke. It is also fairly rattling miserable. “Black Swan” could be the closest factor to enjoyable in his filmography beforehand, however that is extra of a “enjoyable for sickos” train for the best kind of cinephile. For many viewers, it is a fairly messed-up and intense watch. His motion pictures typically really feel difficult in a roundabout way.
That brings us again to “Caught Stealing,” which feels far more akin to an early Man Ritchie crime flick like “Snatch” than it does the rest in Aronofsky’s earlier filmography. A lot of that’s owed to Charlie Huston’s novel on which it’s primarily based, with the creator additionally personally penning the screenplay. It is not like Aronofsky has by no means dealt with an adaptation earlier than, with “Noah” being his tackle a Biblical epic, however that is the primary time he is felt compelled to deliver materials to life that has a way of pleasure in it. That lends itself to extra broad, old-school leisure as solely motion pictures can ship.
That is to not say that the movie is a pure pleasure journey or something like that. Hank goes by way of it. There’s a honest quantity of demise and grizzly violence on the heart of all of it. There may be quite a lot of private trauma. There may be some gnarly imagery. It certain as heck does not glorify violence both. However not not like a Tarantino film like “Reservoir Canine,” it manages to be violent and seedy, whereas additionally being a extra conventional good time on the motion pictures. It is a new gear for Aronofsky, however it’s additionally one which audiences would absolutely welcome extra of sooner or later. Enjoyable Aronofsky is a refreshing change of tempo.
“Caught Stealing” is in theaters now.
