Review: Triple 9

Triple 9, the crime drama written by Matt Cook and directed by John Hillcoat, begins with an immediately immersive action sequence. A bank robbery evolves into a tense freeway shootout with the masked robbers, coated in the red powder from the anti-theft dye pack that exploded in their getaway car, coincidentally resembling a small army of Deadpools.

The men behind the masks are revealed to be a group of corrupt cops and ex-soldiers beholden to the so-called "Kosher Mafia," a Russian-Israeli cabal ruled by the formidably coiffed and unflinchingly ruthless Irina Vaslov (Kate Winslet, to whom kudos must be given for not allowing the character to totally tip into caricature). Irina reneges on their deal, ordering them to pull off an even more daring and difficult job. Or else. Or else Michael (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the men's leader and former Special Forces operative, loses custody of his young son he shares with Elena (Gal Gadot), Irina's endlessly leggy sister. Or else Michael and the rest of his team - ex-cop turned junkie Gabe (Aaron Paul), streetwise officer Marcus (Anthony Mackie), and coldhearted cop Jorge (Clifton Collins Jr.) - could meet the fate of their comrade Russell (Norman Reedus), whom the men discover suffocated and stabbed.

The crew decide their best chance would be to stage a "999," the titular phrase being police code for "officer down." The gambit would cause the entire police team to rush to the scene of the shooting, allowing Michael and his gang enough time to pull off the robbery. Who will serve as their unwitting target? That would be rookie task-force cop Chris (Casey Affleck, whose bulked-up physique has made him less marble-mouthed), Marcus's new partner who happens to be the upstanding nephew of cynical Detective Sergeant Allen (Woody Harrelson), the investigator of the earlier bank robbery. Needless to say, things do not go as planned. Copies amounts of blood will be shed, and the body count is such that one wonders if anyone will be left standing by film's end.

Triple 9 possesses a muscularity even in its rare quieter moments. Cinematographer Nicholas Karakatsanis is arguably the film's MVP, his palette of despairing grays, gunmetal blues, and fluorescent greens dotted with the muted fuchsia of the fingerprinting powder and the variations of red on display throughout the film. His handheld camerawork during the film's bravura set piece is exemplary as we watch Chris lead a police raid on a suspect's apartment block. With several men behind him as he holds a bulletproof shield before him, Chris and his team silently snake in single formation through the tenement building, winding their way through narrow hallways and corridors before dispersing back onto the streets to give chase, all the while avoiding gunfire from the heavily tattooed Mexican gang members intent on protecting one of their own. Staged with military precision, the sequence is captivating from start to finish.

As effective and excellent as Triple 9 is, it pales in comparison with the likes of Michael Mann's Heat and television's The Shield, both of which are the gold standard for exploring the overlap of good and bad, of the blurred lines between corrupt cop and noble criminal. Both Heat and The Shield took care to create multi-dimensional characters that could both rivet and repel. Triple 9 lacks that consideration, making it difficult to invest in any of the characters even if the actors ensure that viewer interest never wanes. Everyone plays their part well though the women, bar Winslet, are more peripheral and decorative. Look out for a great cameo by Michael Kenneth Williams.

Triple 9

Directed by: John Hillcoat

Written by: Matt Cook

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul, Kate Winslet, Gal Gadot, Teresa Palmer, Clifton Collins Jr., Norman Reedus, Michael Kenneth Williams