Review of Pain & Gain (2013) by Dylan D — 01 Sep 2014

Pain & Gain: less of the former, more of the latter. There's a lot to like about Michael Bay's most character-driven film. Morbid humor, sorrow, excitement, and fascination all come together into a fairly unique movie about man's ability to lose everything in the pursuit of the material, particularly by shady means and poor choices before, during, and after corruption.

The story constantly evolves and becomes more and more ridiculous, but for all the unraveling, the tighter and better it becomes. Solid direction, superb pacing, and quality performances make this a surprise winner.