Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) wants his piece of the American dream. And the gym junkie and self-improvement devotee isn't above taking a few shortcuts to get it. He's big on ego and entitlement, short on brains and morals. And his partners, fellow bodybuilders Adrian (Anthony Mackie) and Paul (Dwayne Johnson), are just as clueless – not to mention a little low on self-esteem and a little high on drugs, respectively – to think and act rationally.
Amazingly enough, the trio's ridiculous plan to kidnap vulgar tycoon Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) and violently force him to sign over all his wealth to them actually works. Well, to begin with. Then a scheme that was stupid and sociopathic to begin with starts spiralling way, way out of control. Just as amazingly, Pain & Gain, which chronicles the crimes of Daniel and his accomplices, is based on a true story. (A series of articles in the Miami New Times by journalist Pete Collins tells the whole sordid tale – it's available online, and is well worth hunting down.)
Transformers mega-director Michael Bay may not seem like the first choice for such material, but it's apparently been a passion project of his for some time. And he actually proves a surprisingly good fit. While his storytelling is a little rickety on occasion, the filmmaker displays a sure grasp of black humour and does a strong job of presenting both the glitzy allure of Daniel's cheap desires and the grime of the scenario's reality.
Wahlberg's portrayal of Daniel as the manic, musclebound mastermind of this fiasco is a wild-eyed wonder, but even better is Johnson as a big-hearted, pea-brained, easily-led lug hooked on both Jesus and cocaine.
In cinemas.
