‘The Rip’ delivers nothing you haven’t seen before
Narcos, guns and money are the basics of “The Rip,” a standard-issue cop thriller that’s gone straight to Netflix despite starring Boston buds Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. It’s anyone’s guess why the dynamic duo were so gung-ho to lend their Oscar-winning clout to something so unimaginative as this Joe Carnahan concoction in which they portray morally questionable members of a Miami-Dade drug task force.
That “Good Will Hunting” chemistry is still very much in evidence, but it’s not enough to warrant arrest, let alone conviction. It’s basically just Ben and Matt playing dress-up and going through the motions in service of a rote tale about rogue detectives struggling to remain in contact with their better angels after stumbling upon $24 million in a suburban stash house. Should they pocket some, or all of it?
Ergo, the dilemma they and their three underlings – played by Steve Yeun, Catalina Santino Moreno and Golden Globe-winner Teyana Taylor – face as they spend an eventful night fearing an imminent attack by the dough’s owners while following protocol by counting the loot on the premises. Turns out even bigger threats arise from within, as issues of trust, integrity and conscience come increasingly to the fore.
The script by Carnahan, who also directs, pretty much writes itself, offering little suspense or character development. But there is a lot of cop-speak in which the weary detectives, still grieving over the murder of their leader, pontificate on whether it’s all worth it, the low pay, the ignorant brass and their absurd accusations. Oh, and what skimming a mere $150,000 would do to improve their lives.
There’s validity in what they say, but much of it gets lost in Carnahan opting to bathe every line in smirky cynicism. Any hint of genuineness is repeatedly squelched by dialogue that sounds like it originated from the mind of a pretentious screenwriter more than an actual person. That goes double for how each character has been meticulously molded into a cliché. It’s almost as annoying as a significant third-act twist that Carnahan delivers from out of left field.
Lucky for him, and us, that he has such a fine ensemble to keep us engaged. As Lt. Dane Dumars, the leader of the Tactical Narcotics Team, Damon is his usual commanding self. He’s taciturn and abrupt, but always cool and collected. Unlike his No. 2, Affleck’s Det. Sgt J.D. Byrne, the type to act on impulse, a hot-head at war with the world. Carnahan wants us to believe the two men are at loggerheads – until the script improbably demands they close ranks when the shit hits the fan.
But then, the entire movie sustains on contrivance, despite allegedly being “inspired by true events.” Consequently, “The Rip” is bereft of authenticity, just another macho display of brawn over brains. Accordingly, it builds toward a violent showdown in which guns and fists are raised, not just at the so-called bad guys but at each other.
The point Carnahan is feebly attempting to land, I suspect, is that you can’t judge a book by its cover. No one is who they seem at first, a movie trope so old it has whiskers. And was it really necessary to film nearly every scene in such low light that it’s difficult to fully decipher, especially when everyone aggressively turns on each other physically? Is that Damon fighting Affleck? Or, is it Kyle Chandler’s duplicitous DEA agent, Matty Nix? And who, praytell, is that outside pelting the house with round after round of semi-automatic weaponfire? Does it even matter?
Not really. But despite the utter lack of intrigue and imagination, “The Rip” (a law enforcement term for seizing cash belonging to desperados) remains a mild yet pleasant diversion, the perfect movie to stream while you’re doing your taxes or making dinner. You may miss a thing or two, but no worries. Carnahan has made it easy enough to fill in the blanks.
Movie review
The Rip
Rated: R for pervasive language and violence
Cast: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steve Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Kyle Chandler, Sasha Calle and Catalina Santino Moreno
Director: Joe Carnahan
Writer: Joe Carnahan
Runtime: 112 minutes
Where: Now streaming on Netflix
Grade: B-
