Tower Heist

Did Hollywood have anything to do with the emergence of the Occupy Wall Street movement? The whole thing seems a little bit convenient. Last month saw the behind-the-meltdown docudrama Margin Call and the sci-fi metaphor In Time. Now we have Tower Heist, a comedy that pits the blue collar staff of the Trump Tower against a thieving, Bernie Madoff-esque tenant. The movie's an Ocean's 11 for the 99%, with a sense of timeliness that makes the simple plotting and wisecracking that much more effective.

Ben Stiller stars as Josh Kovacs, overseer of all the goings-on at the Tower. He wakes up before dawn and heads home after sunset, spending his day catering to the occupants of the ritzy apartment complex and managing his eclectic crew—including former Burger King cook Enrique (Michael Peña), Jamaican maid Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe) and his slacker brother-in-law Charlie (Casey Affleck). The crew's greatest concern is multi-billionaire Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), the penthouse resident, Tower board member and, thanks to attention paid, trusted friend of Josh.

Trusted...until the FBI busts Shaw for stealing millions, including the Tower employees' pensions.

Like all good tower heists, Josh's titular, harebrained scheme is prompted by a drunken night out with lead investigator Claire (Téa Leoni), who tips the irked manager off to Shaw's hidden stash: a possible eight-figure sum hidden somewhere in his apartment. In pursuing the American dream of revenge, Josh recruits his slighted co-workers, along with distraught former-millionaire Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick) and Josh's childhood friend-turned-thief Slide (Eddie Murphy). Together, the motley crew concocts a plan to retrieve what's rightfully theirs—all while sinking Shaw in the process.

Tower Heist isn't as slick or intricate as the Ocean movies, but its straightforward take on the crime genre is strengthened by Stiller, Murphy and the rest of the cast's ability to inject ridiculous humour into sympathetic characters. When Josh realises his decade spent commanding the operations of the Tower were for naught, he wigs out, marching up to the top floor to beat the crap out of Shaw's priceless convertible (it was owned by Steve McQueen, in case you were wondering why anyone would keep an antique car on the top floor of a building). Not entirely realistic, but relatable, which sums up every over-the-top, satisfying scenario these characters find themselves throughout the film.

Most importantly, Tower Heist delivers on the funny. Playing the straight man is an art and Stiller's one of the masters (although you'd never know it from his Night at the Museum shtick or wackier roles like Zoolander), riffing off his co-stars while giving them ample time to be complete weirdos. The movie is being touted as a comeback for Murphy, but he wisely steps into a supporting role, delivering on his character's manic charm while never trying to steal the spotlight. The one who really steals the show is Broderick, whose clueless, neurotic Fitzhugh can't help relapsing mid-heist into memories of luxurious trips to Greece.

Credit goes to director Brett Ratner, who cranked out three Rush Hour movies and an X-Men threequel while never really nailing down what it takes to make a group dynamic work. Here he pulls it off, finding the right beats to make Tower Heist funny and thrilling. There are moments during the actual heist scene, set during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, that cause quite a stir—a rarity in today's run-of-the-mill thrill rides.

Tower Heist is the definition of a cinematic softball, avoiding risky choices and utilising each actor to their previously known (and successful) traits without feeling lazy. As the holidays roll in and families look for something they all can enjoy, Tower Heist delivers a little something for everyone. Except, maybe, Bernie Madoff.

Hollywood.com rated this film 4 stars.