The Tax Collector

Starring: Bobby Soto, Shia LaBeouf, Cinthya Carmona, Jose Conejo Martin, Cheyenne Rae Hernandez, George Lopez, Gabriela Flores, Cle Sloan, Jimmy Smits, Lana Parrilla
Directed by: David Ayer
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Action, Drama
2020
Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A drug "tax collector" (Bobby Soto) and his childhood friend (Shia LaBeouf) have their lives upended when a new crime boss moves in and attempts to take over their territory.

Review:

Tim: At this point, we mostly know what to expect from director David Ayer. He's fairly consistent- most of his movies are decent-to-good. The Tax Collector comes in at the top of that bracket. This isn't a great movie (it isn't even close), but it's a good one. It's violent, nerve-racking, and mostly entertaining. Like most of Ayer's films, it has its flaws, but it's still a film I enjoyed watching. It was a good pickup for Hulu.

The movie takes us deep inside warring crime factions in Los Angeles. This is quite fascinating, as we get to understand the role of a "tax collector" and the machismo, the honor, respect and fear that criminal subbosses command. It's an interesting look at how even criminals have families and the impact that the family business can have on the (relatively) innocent. Ayer doesn't overstay his welcome in this world- he gets in, sets it up, lets the action go, and closes out. The movie is a tight 1 hour, 35 minutes. This focus helps the movie as it never feels like Ayer is wasting a moment.

I wasn't prepared for how much I would enjoy Bobby Soto's performance. This is the first time I've seen him, and he gives a wonderful performance. It's an times chilling, but he has an intellectual component to his character. He makes an emotional connection to the audience, so you grow to care about his character. He's not a "good guy", but he's someone for whom you find yourself rooting. Soto is oftentimes superb in this protagonist role. It's the most memorable part of the film and I'll be following to see what Soto does next.

I also have to give Shia LaBeouf credit. I've always been a fan of his work, even though his personal actions certainly paint a different view of who he is when the cameras aren't rolling. Judging him on his work here, he gives a fairly outstanding performance as well. He took the role a bit too seriously (him getting his chest tattooed for real in preparation was widely circulated) for a movie that was never going to be that big. Still, I loved what he did here. His look is incredible, from the cauliflower ears to the tattoos, LaBeouf really disappears into this role. I enjoyed the interactions between he and Soto. That was among the highlights of the film.

The supporting cast is good, too. We get strong performances from a number of actors who don't have name recognition. As far as actors that are more known, George Lopez gives a surprisingly strong, unexpected supporting performance. I'm not a Lopez fan, but he did really good work here. It was also fun seeing Jimmy Smits in a very, very small role. As a whole, the cast worked well.

I enjoyed The Tax Collector. It's a brutal, violent, occasionally gory look at L.A. gangland warfare. It does a good job of setting up characters you learn to care about, so you feel something when they are put in peril. The movie doesn't deliver anything new, but it's an especially memorable look at a hyperviolent subculture. It's a solid crime movie and one that consistently entertains. It never really elevates any of the material and there's not quite a strong enough emotional connection to the characters. It does eventually feel a little over-the-top in the violence department, but that's what Ayer delivers. In his filmography, this is certainly one of the most consistently well made of his films. It doesn't quite reach the heights or scope of Fury, but it feels very close to End of Watch. It's much better than Sabotage. So, while not the best movie overall, it feels like this is a victory for Ayer. It's a movie I had fun watching.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: End of Watch, Training Day, Sabotage, Fury