Made

Review by By Clint Morris

Writer/actor Jon Favreau and cohort Vince Vaughan - whose Swingers received critical acclaim a couple of years back - have returned with a vengeance in Made, a film that recaptures the terrific rapport of the trendy twosome.

Childhood friends Bobby and Ricky (Favreau and Vaughan) dream of becoming professional boxers, but the closest they get to it are two-bit rounds at a local shed. Bobby, the more straight-laced of the duo, finds himself on shaky ground when he upsets the wrong man - bigtime Godfather-esque Max (Falk), and in return must accept a short-term job in New York to keep the peace. Needless to say, Bobby's constant shadow Ricky puts his hand up to participate too.

Outfitted with a new suit, an expense account and personal limo driver, the two-wanna-be mobsters spend several crazy days in the Big Apple schmoozing with flight attendants, ordering overpriced room service grub, and liasing with the mission man, crime-boss Ruiz (Sean "Puffy" Combs).

Talking about the plot of a movie like Made serves it injustice. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just that it's a 'character movie', the kind of film where it's not what's happening that is interesting as much as how it happens.

Favreau and Vaughan are predictably sublime in their parts. Oafish Favreau, as the more lateral-thinking of the duo, and Lanky Vaughan, the loud and 'out there' goof.

And while the focus is on them for the most part of the film, Combs, Vincent Pastore and Falk shine in their secondary roles, all underplaying what could have been satirical caricatures.

Favreau, who wrote the movie, is a brave man. On paper Made, I Imagine, would have been perceived as rubbish, but Favreau's the kind of talent that can turn grass into gold, especially with this comedy of manners - where the lines and the mannerisms of our leads are where you'll find the laughs.

Although it's not quite as slick and prepped as the delicious Swingers, and marginally less fresh, the laughs are consistent enough to make it well worth the ticket price.

3.5 out of 5

Made
Australian release: Commences Thursday 28th February across Australia
Cast: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughan, Peter Falk, Famke Janssen, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Vincent Pastore.
Director: Jon Favreau.
Website: Click here

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