The Take (2007)

I got bored several months ago and I saw that this movie was in the instant section, so I watched it. I had never heard of the movie, but I did like the cast. Wow. What an incredible movie. This is a rather slow paced, low budget indie movie directed by Brad Furman (who recently directed the Lincoln Lawyer, another excellent movie). The film tells the story of Felix De le Pena, an armored truck driver who gets shot in the head by a criminal named Adell Baldwin during a robbery. The film revolves around Felix's recovery and the investigation of the robbery. Bobby Carnavale plays a cop investigating the crime, while Rosie Perez plays the wife of Felix. The film ends with an intense and exciting climatic scene. I loved this movie. I thought it was very well made and well executed.

I was surprised by the low ratings this movie has received in this forum. "The Take" is an independent film made with practically no money and filmed in a short period of time, but it is a very good film nonetheless. John Leguizamo was very good as an armored-car driver who survives being shot in the head. Rosie Perez was nominated for "Best Supporting Actress" in the 2009 Independent Film Spirit Awards. Bobby Cannavale, Tyrese Gibson and the rest of the cast are also very good. The film has great locations from East Los Angeles, depicting the daily life of a working-class family. It has action, humor, it is very entertaining and holds your interest to the very end. What else do you want in a movie?

This is one of the lowest-rated action films, that i found to be highly entertaining, and a gem in my eyes. Its the story of an armored truck driver, who is wounded in a heist, and battles rehabiliation and trying to track down the person who committed the crime. Leguizamo shines in the lead, while Tyrese, although not entirely convincing, does better than his previous work in Baby Boy and 2 fast 2 furious...Meanwhile, Bobby Cannavale was very good here. I thought the music was well incorporated, and Lukas Ettlin did a good job with the cinematography, and the editing was also good. THis is one of the better Hollywood low budget b-movie esquire films i have seen. It may not be Oscar-worthy, but as far as a high- paced action flick, i thought it got the job done better than a lot of films with 3 or 4 times the budget, i would almost forget at times that the films estimated budget was less than a million. --IMDB Rating: 5.2. MY Rating: 9/10

I loved this film. Saw it in New York and really thought the performances were amazing and the film-making on par with some of the best indie film work I've seen in a long time. I thought the locations and the whole feel of the film was very legit and authentic. I know it was made for very little money, so I don't know how that all works, but I could tell that everything was up there on the screen. Leguizamo should be nominated for something! His acting was so real, so heartbreaking at times. There are some disturbing images, I have to admit. But, it was a great film! I can't wait to see what these guys do next.