Review! Triple 9

Triple 9 (2016) Directed by John Hillcoat. Starring: Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie. IMDB says “A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet across town.”

I saw a few trailers for Triple 9 and I felt they showed too much. But as the movie began, I realized they showed just the right amount. The trailers also unintentionally promised a lot. Have you seen the cast list? Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Gal Gadot, Norman Reedus, Clifton Collins Jr, Kate Winslet, Woody Harrelson, and Michael Kenneth Williams (who is AMAZING in this film). That’s a lot to work with. It reads more like the cast for a Steven Soderbergh film than a John Hilcoat film. I should have kept my expectations level, but after seeing the cast, they were raised just a bit.

Triple 9 is a bank heist film first, and a cop drama second. It’s about a group of former Seals and current cops who rob a bank. They’re stealing information for a higher up in the Jewish Russian mafia Irina Vlaslov (Kate Winslet). Sergeant Detective Jeffrey Allen (Woody Harrelson) is the detective in charge of finding the criminals. Meanwhile, Chris Allen (Casey Affleck) is transferred in from another district and he partners up with Marcus Belmont (Anthony Mackie) as they traverse the streets of Atlanta solving gang related crimes. That’s all I want to tell you. The plot is so intertwined in moral grey areas and compelx relationships, it’s almost too much to keep track of, but somehow this film pulls it off. It’s able to balance all of the main characters and their stories into a tense thriller that feels like a throwback to 70s cop dramas, especially with the way it ends.

I enjoyed the film, but I can also see how this film can come across as mediocre. There are some moments that, while they’re not cliché, we’ve seen it before and done better in other films. I want to get specific, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Cause if I say one thing, it won’t make sense and if I go on to explain it, it’ll domino and before you know it, I’ll have given away the whole story. I will give writer Matt Cook some credit as he was able to weave such a complex tale, but at the same time, the motivations behind what makes it so complex, at times feels weak. Sometimes character backgrounds and arcs are explained with a sentence or two of dialogue and it isn’t as fulfilling. There are some characters that don’t even need to exist. Teresa Palmer played Michelle Allen, wife of Chris Allen (Casey Affleck) and you could have easily written her character out and it would have no effect on the story.

Across the board the acting is solid. The only problem areas I have are Kate Winslet and Aaron Paul. Winslet dons another accent and tries to be a villain but I just wasn’t feeling it. She came across as insecure and annoying more than concise and controlling. Then again, maybe that’s how we’re supposed to feel about he character. Aaron Paul is a bit disappointing because his character is a junkie. We’ve seen him in that role and he does it well. This character felt more Jessie Pinkman Lite and phoned in. I was really hoping to see him in a different style of role, especially when he went from the heavy drama of Breaking Bad to the alt comedy of BoJack Horseman. Michael K Williams nearly steals the movie as an informant. His scene alone is worth the price of admission.

While it’s no New Orleans, the backdrop of Atlanta is great. The city streets are almost as intertwined and complex as the story it shares. The score feels almost non-existent. Doesn’t add nor does it subtract from the film. It’s just kind of there. But you don’t need a score when the tension coils and tightens as the film progresses. If you’re looking for a good cop drama, Triple 9 is worth your time. You don’t have to rush out to the theatres to catch it, but if you need a rental or Netflix idea, this is definitely at the top of my list.

FTS SCORE: 74%