Jeri Jacquin
Coming to DVD from writer/director Justin Daly and Sony
Pictures Home Entertainment is one video and THE BIG TAKE.
Douglas Brown (James McCaffrey) is a huge Hollywood
actor who has a night that he wants to forget. Vic (Slate Holmgren) has cameras
running at the Universe Club and Brown has no idea what’s about to happen. Vic
confiscates the incriminating video and has a serious plan.
Working on getting financing for their film The Night of the Fire, Vic hits up Max
(Ebon Moss-Bachrach) with the good news that Brown will be a silent partner
financing their film. The one condition, says Vic, is that Brown wants to
remain anonymous. What Max doesn’t know is that Vic is blackmailing Brown for
$200,000.
Brown turns to his agent who in turn hires Frank Manascalpo
(Dan Hedaya) who has seen worse in his day. Bea (Tara Westwood) works with
Frank and knows the works at the Universal Club and discovers the missing hard
drive from the security camera. She also discovers that underneath the ransom
note is a clue leading to Max.
Frank talks to Max about what he knows and that’s where the
confusion comes in. Frank wants to know what Max knows and Max doesn’t
understand why the actor is going back on his anonymity. That’s about the time
Max’s hot wife Oxana (Oksana Lada) comes to the rescue.
Now Frank has to call in a specialist, Edie (Zoe Bell) has
the look of someone you never want to deal with and she charges accordingly. Soon
after Frank receives a call from Detective Aborn (Robert Forster) saying that
Max and Oxana want to discuss a film project. Frank is seriously confused by it
all and tries to call off Edie but she has plans of her own.
Gathering up the players, Edie wants to know what is
happening, Max wants to know where Oxana is, Vic is wrapped up tight and Brown
can’t explain why his money is in Panama
Moss-Bachrach as Max is an easy going writer who just wants
to get a movie made. Little does he know that he’s about to mentally go around
in circles thanks to his buddy.
Thinking he has been set up by Brown in some way, he tries
to get answers that only make things a little worse. Moss-Bachrach is endearing
and confused which is a good combination when you can pull it off which he
does.
McCaffrey as Brown starts out the film with something that
will shock him the next morning. Of course the film isn’t specific but I’m sure
by the look on the faces of everyone who sees the blackmail DVD, it’s epic
cause for disaster. McCaffrey is funny and plays this character as a man who
has double worries – money in Panama
Hedaya as Frank is smart but not quick or else he wouldn’t
have gotten a smack down. His call for back up brings Bell Bell
Lada as Oxana is happy with her music and being skimpy for
her husband but has no problem what so ever wielding a gun or loaded fire
extinguisher. Holmgren as Vic is that friend you have to keep an eye out on –
all the time! He wants to get the film made and will do pretty much anything to
make it happen.
Other cast include John Enose III as Rick, Joslyn Jensen as
Laura, Taylor Black as Brigitte, Nick Daly as Wade and Matthew Kehoe as Matt.
THE BIG TAKE is a cheeky movie within a movie that has a lot
going on for it. First of all, a hilarious cast of characters that truly have
no idea what is going on. The one person who does ends up knocked out in the
hospital and can’t straight anything out.
That being said, it’s also a film about the
misunderstandings of people who are doing shady stuff! The only innocent people
in all this are Max and Oxana and I give them props for not letting anything or
anyone get the better of them.
The film made me chuckle a lot and found myself talking to
the screen and I have to admit I actually enjoy doing that. Director Justin
Daly comes from a film making legacy as his grandmother is screen legend Ingrid
Bergman. He is currently working on his next feature film.
In the end – sometimes you gotta do a little killing to make
a living!
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