In the face of it, Tower Heist is the kind of production which usually sends alarm bells ringing. ‘A Brett Ratner Film’ hardly causes a surge of excitement amongst cinema-going folk, and co-lead (and co-producer) Eddie Murphy’s track record of late has been patchy to say the least. Even Ben Stiller has squandered some of that goodwill afforded to him via his fantastic turn in last year’s Greenberg by following it up with a by-the-numbers appearance in yet another tired Meets the Parents sequel. Add to that a machination which is far from original (although there’s a pleasingly topical slant) and a poor and unimaginative marketing campaign, and the signs don’t look good.

A sigh of relief can be breathed however, and while Tower Heist is by no means a classic in this well-trodden genre, its good-natured vibe and lively performances from a diverse and talented cast make it hard to dislike. In many ways, it feels like a fun throwback to those disposable (yet entertaining) ’80s action comedy pictures, the likes of which cropped up regularly on Disney’s Touchstone Pictures label (the inclusion of Murphy only helps to reinforce this).

Josh Kovacs (Stiller) is the manager of an impossibly luxurious New York condominium. A respected, go-to-guy and seemingly on hand to offer advice and help to his loyal members of staff at any given hour, he also has a paternal relationship of sorts with Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), a wealthy Wall Street businessman who resides in the outrageously opulent penthouse suite, which is replete with a roof pool (which has a huge, tiled dollar bill mosaic floor) and a classic motor embedded in the living area.

It’s soon revealed that Shaw may have been little more than dishonest in accruing his capital when the law comes a-knocking and he’s placed under house arrest after being charged with stealing two billion from his investors (yes – as hard as it is to fathom, he’s a fraudulent banker). As is usually the case in these instances, the hardest hit is the proverbial little guys, and this time around it turns out to be Kovacs’ fellow employees whose pensions he entrusted to Shaw in the mistaken belief he would bring a sizable return.

As a means of recompense for his justifiably disgruntled staff, Stiller ropes in brother-in-law Charlie (Casey Affleck – surprisingly sparkly) the hotel’s dopey concierge, a resident who has just been turfed out (Matthew Broderick), a newbie go-getting bellhop (Michael Pena) and a feisty Jamaican housekeeper (Gabourey Sidibe) to help him plot a Robin Hood-esque scheme to steal $20 million which is stashed somewhere in Shaw’s apartment. They soon realise that they need a genuine criminal to help pull off the task so Kovak enlists his neighbour Slide (Eddie Murphy), a petty crook with a volatile temper and probably the last person who should be entrusted with organising the heist.

Murphy’s involvement here is one of the film’s key strengths, and even if he’s treading familiar past ground here, it’s always a welcome sight to see him in something other than (with the glowing exception of Dreamgirls) the slew of kid-friendly, lowest common denominator DVD landfill he’s been coasting along on for over a decade or so now. His character is a funny and unpredictable figure in the film, and it’s fun to watch him interact with the other, altogether unthreatening, team members.

The plodding, sub-Ocean’s 11-style gang he attempts to coach in the art of law-breaking is where many of the film’s laughs are found. There’s no slickly-executed planning or heavily choreographed robbery action here, and Murphy’s ridiculous criminal initiation for the team (which involves them each stealing an item from a shop in the mall they’ve visited to discuss the operation) is endearingly daft and amusing. Stiller holds the film together well (although admittedly, the role isn’t much of a stretch for him) and Alda is suitably slimy and stoically two-faced. Broderick brings a convincingly downtrodden and defeated sense of worth to his character (maybe this was a breeze for him to play, given who his real-life spouse is) and it’s nice to see Precious’ Gabourey Sidibe holding her own with this cast, even if her accent does tend to waver at times.

As to be expected for a film in this genre, there’s plot-holes a-plenty and some pretty absurd narrative contrivances. In fact, the film almost threatens to buckle under the weight of its own ridiculousness and strained logic at times, but the playful cast and Ratner’s well-executed and knowingly flamboyant staging of the action set pieces help see things through.

You may find yourself struggling to remember much of it upon leaving the cinema, but Tower Heist is a reasonably entertaining and undemanding slice of popcorn cinema, which will undoubtedly appeal to those who are looking for an evening of light-hearted escapism at the local multiplex. The We Need to Talk About Kevin crowd may choose to look elsewhere for their cinematic fix, however.

***~~ (3/5)

It would appear that Noah Baumbach clicked creatively with the star of his previous feature, Ben Stiller (so good as the whiney misanthrope Greenberg in the director’s film of the same name). The two are already in the process of putting together a new project.

Vulture is reporting that the two are working on a comedy called While We’re Young, which look’s to also include another co-star from Greenberg (Mumblecore queen Greta Gerwig) along with newly-announced Oscar co-host James Franco and Cate Blanchett.

Little is known about the script other than it’s a relationship tale about two twenty-something’s who forge a bond with an uptight documentarian and his wife, inspiring them to live it up a little, which inevitably, goes drastically wrong.

Scott Rudin (who has produced Baumbach’s last two features) is back onboard for this one too.

Before the world descends into football fever why not catch up with all the latest film chatter with your weekly edition of the Mouth Off podcast?

Bit of a special one tonight as we have an exclusive interview with the director of the forthcoming film Death and Cremation, Justin Steele, whose generosity and candour was a breath of fresh air and the stories he tells of getting an original horror film made, as well as working with Brad Dourif and Jeremy Sumpter are really worth a listen.

We’d like to thank Justin for his time, you can find the interview at the end of the podcast, or you can download the MP3 right here. The trailer for the film is included below and I’d point you to the official website here.

In addition to the interview we’ve got reviews of Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg and Christopher Smith’s Black Death and Craig Skinner and Brendon Connelly join me in discussing the merits (or not) of watching a film on a phone, as well as our usual Ripped from the Crypt selections.

You may have seen we now have a HeyUGuys forum so click here to talk about the films, news items or the Ripped from the Crypt choices we make this week.

Click here to subscribe or listen to the Mouth Off feed in iTunes, where you can also find our older episodes.

I hope you enjoy it, do let us know what you want to hear, or if you agree or disagree with us – leave your comments here, or email us on MouthOff@heyuguys.co.uk

Here’s the trailer for Justin Steele’s Death and Cremation,

And our usual Ripped from the Crypt selections, First up Craig bucked trends and nominated the TV series Homicide: Life on the Streets,

I chose the 2007 film The Living Wake,

Brendon chose the film The Cremator (original title: Spalovac mrtvol)

Greenberg is a clever, cautious and ultimately beautiful film which benefits from the twin talents of Ben Stiller and Greta Grewig under Noah Baumbach’s assured direction.

Fans of the director will find his new film replete with understated performances and a naturalistic tone, rendered here wonderfully. Equally, detractors won’t be converted, but this is not Baumbach’s film, that honour goes to one of the actors.

The overriding theme of Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg is stated and restated by Ben Stiller’s character, the titular Roger Greenberg, as he is buffeted and harrassed by friends old and new. ‘I’m just trying to do nothing right now’ is his stock response, and much of the film pivots on the cause and effect of this inaction.

It begins as Florence’s story, Greta Gerwig impressing effortlessly in every moment on screen, and it is her relationship with her employee’s brother (Stiller) which leads us through the film, from their initial awkwardness to their blossoming relationship and entwining lives. Greenberg, believing himself to have his demons bloodied and left behind him after a voluntary spell in hospital comes to realise that he is not ready to face the future, but with Florence a future presents itself.

Greta Gerwig is the star of this film, illuminating those whom she orbits. Though the painfully erosive lack of self esteem threatens to overwhelm her character at each turn it is her ability to appear completely without artifice that disarms; her nakedness is a masterclass in naturalistic acting, and her woman on the edge of nervous laughter is worth the price of the admission. Her performance as Florence is so important to the film as the merest hint of an agenda from wither Gerwig or Baumbach would shatter the illusion.

It is easy to become passive while watching this film, as its fabric is made up of the merits of an inactive life, but Greenberg’s steady momentum allows the characters to crackle and spark off each other, never losing the audience during the time they spend focusing inwards. Witness the moment old friends and one time bandmates Greenberg and Rhys Ifans’s Ivan meet up after years apart and I struggled to think of a time either actor had done better work, and this was just one moment among many.

It is only when a film like this comes along that we get a reminder of the ability that Ben Stiller has, that he is so much more than his blockbusting persona offers, and while franchise hopping will keep him solvent I hope he takes this detour again. Baumbach understands the power of an understated performance and manages to keep Stiller’s comedy rage at bay here, giving his emotional one man tug-of-war resonance which plays perfectly with Jennifer Jason Leigh (Baumbach’s co-writer and cast as Greenberg’s one that got away), Ifans and, of course, Gerwig.

It is the love story of Greenberg and Florence, but there is so much more to it than that. Baumbach and Stiller combine to make Greenberg a loathsome yet disarming character and the film is at its best when the small details of their affair are played out.

They bond over a sick dog, break up over Florence’s ‘racy’ past (a story told of an inconsequential night out which goes wrong is Gerwig’s triumph – seriously, I wanted to stop the film and have the projectionist play it back – it is that good) and their strange chemistry engages on a visual and emotional level as we watch the attraction and repelling go back and forth.

Seriously, just go and see it. It’s worth your time. If this is your first time seeing Greta Gerwig in a film you’ll fall in love, mumblecore mainstream or not, Greenberg is a treat, and sits among the towering blockbusters of this summer waiting to be discovered.

Greenberg is out in the UK tomorrow, so there’s no excuse.

Noah Baumbach’s triumphant return to the cinema sees Ben Stiller give an amazing performance as Roger Greenberg, a reclusive, introverted failed musician searching for a guiding light, whom he finds in the painfully shy Florence (Greta Gerwig).

Greenberg is their story, and is out in UK cinemas on the 11th of June, and to celebrate we’ve got some prizes to give away.

The main prize is a goodie bag which includes a t-shirt, a journal and a soundtrack CD by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. There are three copies of the soundtrack CD for the runners up.

To be in with a chance to win you need to become a fan of HeyUGuys and Greenberg on Facebook (if you have an account) and answer the following question using the form below.

Complete the title for this previous Noah Baumbach film: The Squid and the ______.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• This competition is open to the UK only.
• Only one entry per household will be counted.
• The competition will close Friday 18th June at 23.59 GMT.
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received.

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

Here’s the synopsis for the film,

Greenberg brings actor Ben Stiller together with Academy Award-nominated writer/director Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale”) to tell the funny and moving tale of Roger Greenberg.

Roger Greenberg [Ben Stiller], single, fortyish and at a crossroads in his life, finds himself in Los Angeles, house-sitting for six weeks for his more successful/married-with-children brother. In search of a place to restart his life, Greenberg tries to reconnect with old friends including his former band mate Ivan [Rhys Ifans]. But old friends aren’t necessarily still best friends, and Greenberg soon finds himself spending more and more time with his brother’s personal assistant Florence [Greta Gerwig], an aspiring singer and also something of a lost soul. Despite his best attempts not to be drawn in, Greenberg and Florence manage to forge a connection, and Greenberg realizes he may at last have found a reason to be happy.

Here’s the new trailer for Ben Stiller’s latest movie, Greenberg which is directed by Noah Baumbach. The movie also stars Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Messina, Brie Larson, Juno Temple and is directed by Noah Baumback.

Greenberg seems to have moved away from Stiller’s usual style of comedy and has become somewhat darker than we’re used to. I’ve added the trailer below the synopsis. Let us know what you think in the comments below. You can check out this trailer in HD on the Apple website.

Greenberg (Ben Stiller) is at a crossroads in his life. Out of a job and none too interested in finding one, he agrees to housesit for his younger and more successful brother, thereby getting a free place to stay in Los Angeles. Once settled in, Greenberg sets out to reconnect with his old friend and former bandmate Ivan (Rhys Ifans). But times have changed, and old friends aren’t necessarily still best friends, so Greenberg finds himself spending more and more time instead with his brother’s personal assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig), an aspiring singer and herself something of a lost soul. As their relationship develops through a series of embarrassingly awkward romantic encounters, even someone as irascible as Greenberg might have at last found a reason to be happy.