Review of Pain & Gain (2013) by Royben14 — 18 Apr 2017

I liked Pain and Gain but it frustrates me, all the potential it had, even if Bay stayed as director with someone who could helped him with the details, AND with him not interrupting the script it could have been a great film.

Bays visual style fits the American dream theme of the film but he fails in convening a message in the small details, he builds up themes but the visuals he shoot don't fit them. Bay wants to have things he likes on screen no matter what the film quality in mind.

The pacing and the performances are great (The Rock gives his greatest one, Whalberg which is hit or miss for me also acts good not in his best but not disappointing), I cant remember a lot about the editing in micro but that it was passable at least, BUT on MACRO it had some problems: My biggest problem with the editing is that it starts with a cliché " let me tell you how its all started", the shots Bay uses in that sequence are repeated later in the film (which isn't something unfamiliar to Bay). *note: in usual Bay style explosion Were exaggerated BUT it fits the patriotism of the film, I also want to say that I'm not American.* The writing, its probably Bays fault because its written by the guys who wrote all the three "Captin America" films which aren't amazingly written, but the faults in this film are not the faults in those, so its fair to assume Bay is in the wrong. There is narration which actually helps the pace and it has an excuse, but some of the voice over is bad (maybe its intentional because of the reason for the narration, which I'm not going to spoil).

The cinematography is great, the movie is full of color, you might say it has too many colors and its unrealistic and overwhelming but think of why, I can tell you:" to support the main theme of it, the dying American dream. ".

But hey you may say:" you keep praising the film but your score is pretty low!" First thing a 5 for me isn't that bad, its just means not good, which the film is.

Until now I did praise the film but now... its time for my biggest problems: The comedy, the film in funny, and in its original script it would have been funnier, its obvious that Bay forced his opinion of good comedy, full of sexism racism and awkward sex jokes that not only don't fit the film, the scene or the themes, IT Doesn't FIT BAYS USUAL OBJECTING OF WOMEN which bugs my head, he somehow found something worse than that.

*note: I don't remember any details about the sound mixing or editing. but the score wasn't bad but wasn't amazing*.

In conclusion:

I enjoyed the film but every time I see it I can only concentrate about the loss potential it is, its score fits it perfectly, and the blame is on Michael Bay, with some restraint he could have made something great.