The Take

A film that will keep viewers guessing as it continually changes course, The Take is a well-crafted tale of revenge that substitutes exploitable elements for a surprisingly emotional resonance. The prolific John Leguizamo turns in one of his finest performances as Felix de la Pena, an armored car security guard in Los Angeles who is wounded in a large scale robbery steered by a brutal thug (Tyrese Gibson). While recuperating from brain surgery, Felix, unsatisfied with the police investigation of the crime, takes matters into his own hands despite the debilitating nature of his injury and its aftermath. Though somewhat uneven in tone, The Take should be commended for taking a different tract than the average revenge entry, and it is best recommended to those who enjoyed such recent titles as Death Sentence and The Lookout, a movie The Take resembles in more ways than one.

Shelf Talk: The Take has had positive responses at film festivals in Toronto and Philadelphia, and Leguizamo has been actively pushing it as well. A fine cast including the video friendly Gibson, Rosie Perez and Bobby Cannavale will only bolster its appeal (even with barely there theatrical exposure), along with promised promotional campaigns in English and Spanish media.