Film File - Tower Heist
by John Daly Updated: Wednesday, 9th November, 2011 4:55pm
Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy star in 'Tower Heist'.
A few years after fraudster Bernie Madoff finally got his just comeuppance with a lifetime prison sentence, it's inevitable that a few films capitalising on the public's desire to see justice for financial swindlers have appeared. 'Tower Heist' is a comedy caper about a group of ordinary working people who are forced to take their own revenge on the Wall Street swindler who stole their money.
New Yorker Josh Kovaks (Ben Stiller) has managed one of the most luxurious and well-secured residences in Manhattan for more than a decade - a workaholic manager who has given up on his personal life to satisfy the endless wants of his pampered residents.
Whether immersing himself in the lore of fine wines and the newest restaurants or keeping track of the birthday and anniversary of every affluent occupant, he's the 'go to guy' everybody depends on.
With a decade of experience working in the building, he runs a tight ship and expects nothing but perfection from his staff. In the best penthouse in the building, mega-financier Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is under house arrest after being caught stealing $2 billion from his investors.
The hardest hit amongst those he defrauded are the Tower staff whose pensions he was entrusted to manage. With only days until Shaw gets away with the perfect crime, Josh and his colleagues turn to petty crook Slide (Eddie Murphy) to plan the impossible: stealing back the $20 million they're convinced is hidden in Shaw's ultra secure apartment where Shaw is watched around the clock by an FBI team led by Special Agent Claire Denham (Tea Leoni).
The revenge crew are a motley lot - including high-strung concierge Charlie (Casey Affleck), broke ex-Wall Streeter Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick), rookie bellhop DevReaux (Michael Pena) and feisty, big hearted maid Odessa (Gabourney Sidibe).
Using their working knowledge of the building and its inhabitants, the Tower gang attempt the heist that will score a major touchdown for the little guy.
First off, welcome back Eddie. After many, many flop films where his innate humour was squandered upon dreadful scripts, Murphy is finally funny again.
That's not to say Tower Heist is a knee-slapper of the highest order - it's not. But it does boast a great cast, says a few sharp things about the economy (something we can all relate to) and does make use of the ever excellent Alan Alda and Matthew Broderick.
The core plot borrows from headlines - the fraudster banker that law enforcement seems unable to imprison - sound familiar? Driven to consider the most extreme measures when he's finds himself fired for standing up for the staff's stolen pensions, Josh turns to his childhood pal turned ex-con Slide to help.
Definitely a few sandwiches short of a picnic in the brain department, Slide does manage to hatch an outrageous plan to rob the robber. It gives nothing away to say this involves a French playboy, a fake court date and the Snoopy float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The whole thing is utterly ridiculous, the plot has more holes than a Swiss cheese - but somehow it all works. Great actors working with a good script and director - take a bow, Ted Griffin and Brett Ratner - makes for a light-hearted and enjoyable laugh on these early winter nights.
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