by Shane Conto
Oh boy…where to even start with The Tax Collector? I can see it now…David Ayer sits in his home playing Grand Theft Auto and has an epiphany. “This game is so much fun! Why hasn’t anyone made a movie like this yet? Wait…I can!” I am convinced this is how this film came about. The whole length of the runtime I kept asking myself the same questions over…and over again. Was a film so deeply rooted in Latinx culture the right choice to be written and directed by David Ayer? I think the end result of the film will give you the answer to that little nugget.
Ayer has shown that he has a love for LA and the different cultures that inhabit it.
Whether it was his screenplays for Training Day, Dark Blue, or The Fast and the Furious or his great directorial efforts like End of Watch and Fury, Ayer has shown that he is a talented artist. But what happened? You can argue studio interference for the likes of Suicide Squad or Bright but The Tax Collector seems to be very much Ayer’s film. This is by far the sloppiest I have seen his directing. The film feels so bland and even when violence takes the screen there feels like there is no gravity to it. The actors REALLY try. They do. But when it comes to some of the sequences, the film feels like it is just gratuitous blood and violence for shock and no other reason. Speaking of some of the violence, when the action finally takes center stage it is choppy and silly with its obnoxious slow motion.
You can get past some lackluster directing and editing if you feel connected to the film through its characters and story. Unfortunately, Ayer’s script is an even bigger culprit than his work behind the camera. Stereotypes…stereotypes everywhere. They are far as the eye can see. I don’t believe there is a single character in this film that doesn’t feel like a cliched caricature. We have a protagonist who does gang-related work but has a heart of gold and loves his family. We have the silent and intimidating muscle. We have a kingpin running things from prison. We have rival gangs. We have even more gangs. We have an evil version of our muscle who for some reason the film decides to explain that fact to us.
This film feels as repetitive and derivative as the last handful of sentences I just wrote.
But that is not all! This story hits every story beat like clockwork, including some motivational deaths, rival gang propositions, and a big violent send-off. Honestly, the only thing that took me by surprise story-wise was how the protagonist was able to take on the antagonist gang, and that is because it made no sense. If all of that wasn’t enough, the dialogue felt so forced and bland that I don’t think I could even quote a single line of it. Or maybe just one…but that is because it sounded like a serious attempt at a hokey line.
The most unfortunate thing is how this film failed the cast.
Bobby Soto gives a solid performance as David, our protagonist, but besides some poorly written emotional scenes, he does get much to work with. Then there is Shia LaBeouf. Controversy ran wild before the release of this film for whitewashing LaBeouf’s character. Does LaBeouf play a Latinx character? No, he does not. Does it make things any better when his whole character is just trying to be a Latinx stereotype even down to his accent? No at all. To be fair though, his performance is intense and intimidating. Would I want him to stare me down with malevolent intent? Heck no! George Lopez’s casting could have been great for the film as it is exciting to see him play against type. But then he is barely in it and really doesn’t have anything to do. Then every single woman in the film is a plot device or a bland stereotype.
Phew…I think I am done trashing this film now. This is a big pass for me. There are so many other films out there in the virtual cinema to spend your money. Go watch them.
The Tax Collector is one big hot mess from start to the horribly staged final moments that shamefully sets up a sequel. But who is going to want to watch that?
Grade: F