Review: The Moral Quandaries in the Uneven Heist Film 'American Animals'
This review was originally published on UW Film Club, but has since been reuploaded here with the author’s permission.
—
This film was seen at the 44th Seattle International Film Festival. The film is now in wide release in Seattle.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in the movie business, it can be a tricky beast. All great films are built off those that came before it, but at what point does imitation become problematic? Queue Bart Layton’s American Animals. American Animals is an example of when a film’s cinematic language tries too hard to be like something else. The film utilizes a variety of techniques but in doing so, it creates an inconsistent film that doesn’t find itself until later on in the film when it creates a consistency with its stylings.
American Animals depicts the true to life story of Spencer Reinhard (Barry Keoghan) and Warren Lipka (Evan Peters) are two friends who are tired of the same old mundane lives they carry out everyday and hope that one day they will achieve something “extraordinary.” One day while taking a tour of the Special Collections Library at Transylvania University, Warren notices that $14 million worth of rare books are protected by one librarian. He shares this with Warren and the two begin hatching a plan to steal a first edition of John James Audubon’s Birds of America and Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species that will set them up for life, but while trying to pursue something bigger than themselves, they realize the moral implications of their actions.
Side by side of the real Warren with Evan Peters’ Warren.
The film suffers from an identity crisis for the first two thirds of the film, and it is really prevalent in the films first act. Between the inter-stitched documentary-style clips of the actual capers, the fourth wall breaking narration, the inconsistency of narration, the light hearted jovial tone, and the serious tone, it’s hard to pin down exactly what the film is trying to be. Is it trying to be “I can’t believe these idiots are pulling off a heist” film like Logan Lucky? Is it a serious heist film akin to Heat? Or is it mistrustful heist film like Reservoir Dogs? The film doesn’t seem to know itself for the most of the run time as it tries to create a hodgepodge of other heist films.
The film wears its influences on its sleeve, going as far as to have an isolated shot of rented heist films like Rififi that Warren and Spencer watch to learn the ins and outs of the business, and even a sequence that directly replicates the suave stylings of Steven Soderburg’s Ocean’s Eleven, complete with Elvis music and all. Part of this appreciation can be cited as the reason for being stylistically imprecise. Pulling from so many inspirations has caused a cavalcade of inconsistent moments that work on their own, but when strung together, result in an uneven film.
However, when the heist begins, American Animals actually begins to find its footing. Despite the jarring whiplash that occurs when the film turns into a very serious (almost dark) heist film, the newfound tone in the film helps it emerge from the shadow of its inspirations and declare its differentiation. The heist itself is handled with extreme gravitas; as the gang realizes what they are actually doing —not only to their lives but that of those around them—the tension ratchets up and sustains itself all the way until they get caught. Much of this is accomplished when the film finally nails down its tone and strips away the inspirations it was beholden to for the first two thirds of the film. By exploring the moral quandaries of their actions within a cohesive tone, the film hits its stride and shows that it doesn’t need to imitate anyone else.
What is commendable about this film is how much it tries to replicate from other films, but in doing so, it creates an inconsistent tone. Whether it be serious or funny, straightforward or deceptive, or realistic or hyperbolized, Layton tries a mishmash of techniques in an effort to pay homage to the films that inspired it while at the same time making American Animals standout. The film is indebted to the films that came before it, but it’s not until the film stops imitating something else does it become something worth watching.
3/5 STARS
—