No studio head would say the casting director is the most important person on a movie set. But a surprisingly large number of films fail to reach their potential as a result of miscasting. Fortunately, this is not the case with Tower Heist, the year’s most energetic comedy. Credit must be given to Kathleen Chopin, whose previous casting credits include Affliction, The Manchurian Candidate, and Hitch. Here she’s assembled an enthusiastic, high profile ensemble lead by Ben Stiller and most importantly Eddie Murphy, who delivers his funniest performance since the 1980s.
For pure laughs, Tower Heist matches this summer's Horrible Bosses. It's a genuine crowd-pleaser that demands audience participation, in part due to a timely premise. Alan Alda, oozing smug charm, plays Arthur Shaw, billionaire penthouse resident of a luxury Central Park condominium. At the misguided request of building manager Josh Kovaks (Stiller), Shaw was put in charge of staff pensions, a scary development echoing a certain highly publicized New York City scandal. When Shaw is placed under house arrest for defrauding his investors, Kovaks and other employees begin plotting to steal Shaw's $20 million safety net with the help of Slide (Murphy), a low-level neighborhood thief.
I'm sure some will object to director Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last Stand, Rush Hour) hijacking his basic premise from the Madoff Ponzi scheme, which ruined countless lives. A dramatic retelling of real life events could have come across as dishonest and manipulative, but working with a genuinely funny script from writers Ted Griffin and Jeff Nathanson, Ratner manages to avoid such criticism. The smartest decision was putting audiences in the position to cheer a team of underdog schemers seeking retribution. The entire revenge robbery, which builds momentum throughout the film's second half, is played for laughs. Meanwhile, a lively cast distracts us from thinking too hard about the implausibility of certain key events down the stretch.
The strength of this cast cannot be overstated. I can imagine several of the films most facetious exchanges floundering, with say, the Happy Madison team in place. Casting Murphy (who Ratner also handpicked to host the 2012 Oscars) was the film's ace in the hole. To call his resume uneven over the past two decades is a generous assessment. Even on occasions when he has proven funny, such as The Nutty Professor and Shrek, they've come courtesy of safer material meant for the broadest possible audience. But here he has wisely abandoned the family-friendly persona that often handicapped his natural charisma. Murphy's performance feels fresh, that of a mature performer rediscovering why audiences embraced him in the first place. His character is street smart, brash, and fast-talking, calling to mind his work on Saturday Night Live and early iconic roles in 48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop.
With much of the funniest material relegated to Murphy, Stiller plays it straight and keeps the film grounded, except for one scene when he goes berserk on a priceless automobile. The two stars share an easygoing chemistry, with Stiller’s sincerity meshing well with Murphy’s exuberance. The rest of the large ensemble fills their roles admirably, save Casey Affleck, who apparently was never told this was a comedy. Matthew Broderick, who has perfected his middle-age dweeb act, elicits several laughs, while Tea Leoni surprises with one of the funnier inebriated scenes in a long time. Character actor Michael Pena (Crash) and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) both show deft comedic timing, while the invaluable Judd Hirsch makes the most of a throw away part.
Ratner has been an easy target for film snobs over the last decade. The word “hack” has been known to surface when his name is discussed. But for all of his shortcomings, he avoids the much-copied “Apatow syndrome,” which dictates that a comedy must stretch thirty minutes beyond an appropriate end point. Working with top talent, Ratner has delivered a mainstream comedy that is not only well paced and executed, but also a lot of fun. Now if Murphy can just stay away from those G ratings.
(B+)
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