The cast is excruciating and the action is lacking. Shia LaBeouf stands out in more ways than the obvious in the intriguing but undercooked crime film The Tax Collector. “The Tax Collector” is in theaters, on demand, and digital from RLJE Films on August 7, 2020. Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 It’s always been only about style, like watching someone play a bad video game about Latinx gang culture. At one point, I wrote in my notes, “Tough guy shit.” And that’s really all this is, an exercise in macho, violent male cinema. The Tax Collector is an underachieving, exceedingly violent urban gangster film with a meandering storyline and a contrived final twist. Read full review The plot of The Tax Collector consists of ancient elements from any number of action-adventures and Westerns; there's hardly a surprise in sight. ‘The Tax Collector’ Review: There’s More Madness Than Method to Shia LaBeouf’s Latest Extreme Character Reviewed online, Los Angeles, July 27, 2020. Lana Parilla, Shia LaBeouf, and George Lopez star in this thriller which is written and directed by David Ayer. David works with his buddy Creeper (Shia LaBeouf), the muscle behind the operation. It is Ayers at his brutal best. Best of IndieWire The 20 Highest Grossing Indies of 2020 (A Running List) Summary. This is a terrible waste of his talent. The Tax Collector - Review - Rating. David Ayer’s The Tax Collector is worth a look for the ways it pulls together a small scale production with outsize ambitions. August 7, 2020. The Tax Collector is violent and gruesome as hell, but poorly written with an absurd plot. Verdict. I don’t buy that for one second. Unfortunately, the scale of those ambitions is done a disservice by an undercooked story that goes through too-familiar paces to arrive at a too-familiar outcome, without enough variations in the formula to make it truly memorable in its own right. A review of The Tax Collector, a thriller starring Bobby Soto and Shia LaBeouf, available on VOD in Canada on September, 8, 2020. It’s tempting to say that no one ever asked what the point was of “The Tax Collector,” but I think it’s even worse than that—they knew there wasn’t a point. The Tax Collector follows director David Ayer's usual formula for a gritty street drama, including a shoddy script and a cliche story, but the film is anchored by a magnetizing supporting performance by Shia LaBeouf and Ayer's ability to shoot crisp action through way of ultra-violence and gritty, albeit heightened realism. 1.5. I can’t remember the last time I cared so little about a major character’s death or where a story was going to end. Review by Pube. Everything about “The Tax Collector” is depressing. The Verdict. The characters behave nonsensically in a world of obvious betrayals. David Ayer’s The Tax Collector is worth a look for the ways it pulls together a small scale production with outsize ambitions. Once you get past the horrifically casual racist stereotypes, non-existent character depth, incoherent plotting, clichéd dialogue, and baffling editing, what’s perhaps most insulting is how numbingly boring the whole affair ended up. Nick Cannon, Shia LaBeouf, Zac Efron, Kelly Clarkson to Get Walk of … The Tax Collector. Share Share Tweet Email. Now available in theaters and on digital platforms. Combined with Ayer's continued storytelling missteps, The Tax Collector amounts to a lot of blood and brutality without the soulfulness to match. It’s one thing to produce a film that traffics in such Latinx gang stereotypes that even the writers of “Grand Theft Auto” would say it’s a bit two-dimensional, but the least you can do is serve me your clichés with a degree of filmmaking competence. Imagine trying to pick out exactly what went wrong in the kitchen after tasting a bite of something so atrocious that it makes your eyes water and your stomach turn. Amplify that when the money becomes larger and your territory expands. US, 2020, 95 minutes. And because things feel so manufactured, the performers, who do seem to be trying, tend to be stifled. At a point I genuinely questioned why I'm watching The Tax Collector. We need a reason to care, right? One of the most atrocious viewing experiences of the year, “The Tax Collector” relies on a trite visual language built on obvious flashbacks and bland imagery that match the unimaginatively dreadful writing where every Latino in sight is a gangster. The 2020 effort by writer and director David Ayer has been welcomed with mixed to negative reviews. A "tax collector" working for a local crime lord finds his family's safety compromised when the rival of his boss shows up in L.A. and upends the business. Yes, the clichéd performances are tragic, especially LaBeouf’s, but one can hardly blame them for trying to find anything to liven up such a deadly dull film, when it’s not being grotesquely violent. And, of course, Ayer opens his script by revealing that it’s almost time for the Quinceañera of his daughter, reminding us he’s just a normal family guy like you and me. The Tax Collector proves itself another messy David Ayer thriller that’s somehow not as bad as people will pretend but nowhere near any good. Life in a gang and on the streets is dark and gritty. 0. No one in this film was given dialogue or behavior that feels recognizably human, and so even talented performers like LaBeouf look like they’re flailing in search of something to hold onto. Of course, it also sets the stage for all of the women in this film to become brutalized plot devices, which happens in such a depressingly predictable fashion. Film, Film Reviews. ‘The Tax Collector’ Review: Shia LaBeouf’s Racist Caricature Isn’t the Only Problem Here David Ayer's revenge thriller is mostly just a slog of vulgar threats and violent outbursts. The Tax Collector flings blood, guts, testosterone and Latinx characters to the wall to see what sticks. The Tax Collector is an underachieving, exceedingly violent urban gangster film with a meandering storyline and a contrived final twist. Film Review: The Tax Collector Written, produced, and directed by David Ayer. With Bobby Soto, Cinthya Carmona, Shia LaBeouf, Jose Conejo Martin. It can be hard to parse the recipe’s failures when you have food poisoning. One thing about Ayer was he seemed to be able to draw good acting work from people like Christian Bale in “Harsh Times,” LaBeouf in “Fury,” and Jake Gyllenhaal in “End of Watch.” Everyone here ranges from bad to atrocious, which means the entirety of the acting flaws have to be laid at Ayer’s feet. By Sandy Schaefer Published Aug 07, 2020. 1.5. David does all the talking; Creeper does all the glaring. This is where Creeper ( Shia Lebeouf) and David (Bobby Soto) reside. Whether it’s a pull ending up $20k short or the return of an enemy of their boss named Conejo (Jose Conejo Martin), there are clearly storm clouds on the horizon. 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David Ayer’s The Tax Collector is worth a look for the ways it pulls together a small scale production with outsize ambitions. There truly was no point. 'The Tax Collector' Director David Ayer on Hiring People of Color: 'Where Is the Hollywood Chicano Superstar?' David is introduced in a big house with a loving wife and family, the kind of guy who prays with his kin over family breakfast before going off to break some kneecaps. Directed by David Ayer. THE TAX COLLECTOR MOVIE REVIEW 2020 | Double Toasted - Today at Double Toasted we have our THE TAX COLLECTOR REVIEW. Eric Kohn David (Bobby Soto) is the title character of “The Tax Collector,” a man who goes and rounds up 30% of all gang activity to kick up to the man at the top, who happens to be played by an against-type George Lopez. ... Pube’s review published on Letterboxd: You know the old conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney died back in the sixties? Ayer has made frustrating films before, but there was at least a level of craft to them that rose above what unfolds here in the last 45 minutes, which alternates between manipulative tropes, brutal violence, and a plot that is impossible to care about. Everything about “The Tax Collector” is depressing. Bolstered by a diverse and interesting cast of a kind we don’t see nearly enough, it paints a vivid portrait of the seedier side of the Los Angeles underworld. The Tax Collector Review: David Ayer's Crime Thriller is Bloody & Bland. We encourage you to read our updated PRIVACY POLICY and COOKIE POLICY. Above that in LA are the cartels and the real power. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association. The Tax Collector review – a gruesome low-rent gangland thriller without much of a point taxing. Review: The Tax Collector. LaBeouf has been accused of playing a Latinx character, but he's really more playing a guy like Gary Oldman's in "True Romance," someone who has absorbed the culture. (RLJE Films) They get what they need most of the time, but Ayer drops in hints about the fragility of their situation, of course, in the name of foreshadowing. Related: The Tax Collector Review: David Ayer's Crime Thriller is Bloody & Bland Right now, The Tax Collector currently has a 19 percent Tomatometer score at Rotten Tomatoes.It seems that many of the top critics don't enjoy the overall feel of the film, as Ayer does indeed include numerous graphic depictions of murder. Brian Tallerico is the Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. However, this doesn't justify the silly Latinx heavy impression that results. Ayer directed Soto to such a bland non-performance, although most of the problem there is in the writing. It doesn’t help that Ayer leaves his cast hanging. Courtesy of RLJE Films. Let’s give him a wife and kids! ‘The Tax Collector’ Review: Street Gangs and Family Values David Ayer’s generic gangland thriller presents a cartoonishly exaggerated showdown between good and evil. At least LaBeouf is a supporting character that draws your attention because the protagonist here is a black hole in terms of development and performance. Paul sounds the same, looks the same, and only got better at what he did. Where does one even begin with a movie that’s so deeply incompetent that it practically defies criticism? The Tax Collector feels low budget despite having a moderate amount of money at its disposal. I don’t know if the blinding ineptitude in terms of basic elements like editing and plotting in the second half of this film could be attributed to COVID-19, but that’s the kindest thing I can presume. Read full review Image from The Tax Collector, courtesy RLJE Films. The Tax Collector is a frightening, mean-mugging, and depth-filled a gangster exploitation movie as they come. It’s one thing to produce a film that traffics in such Latinx gang stereotypes that even the writers of “ Grand Theft Auto ” would say it’s a bit two-dimensional, but the least you can do is serve me your clichés with a degree of filmmaking competence. I am not going to sugarcoat this, this isn't a positive one either. LaBeouf has been so strong lately in films like "Honey Boy" and "The Peanut Butter Falcon." If you’re going to make a movie this lazily, at least try to make it fun! This is basically the position I’m in, asked to determine exactly went wrong with David Ayer’s “The Tax Collector,” and really only able to come up with the fact that there’s literally nothing here that went right. Jonathon Wilson 0. Bolstered by a diverse and interesting cast of a kind we don’t see nearly enough, it paints a vivid portrait of the seedier side of the Los Angeles underworld. Review: ‘The Tax Collector’ is one of the most atrocious viewing experiences of the year Shia LeBeouf, left, and Bobby Soto star in “The Tax Collector,” directed by David Ayer. Available on video-on-demand platforms. Actually, the video game would be more fun. The Story of Who We Are: Gregory Nava Helps Celebrate Selena’s 50th Birthday, Thumbnails Special Edition: Gregory Nava's Selena, The Brilliance is in the Details of HBO’s Riveting Mare of Easttown. Taxation without Representation: Ayer Gets Absurd in L.A. Crime Noir The most interesting element of David Ayer’s latest crime thriller The Tax Collector is how well it showcases the writer/director’s perspectives for law enforcement officials. Unfortunately, his latest film is not from such a perspective, focusing on two henchmen for a Los Angeles crime lord […] Is Bloody & Bland is the Hollywood Chicano Superstar? Toasted - Today at Double Toasted have! 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