Middle Men

Dir: George Gallo

2010

***

George Gallo has written some great films, but he's also directed some pretty duff ones. I lost count of the amount of times I saw cameramen and crew in the reflection of the actor's sunglasses throughout Middle Men, it probably matches the number of crime-comedy clichés the film has. The story is based on the experiences of Christopher Mallick who was previously associated with the internet billing companies Paycom and ePassporte. Christopher Mallick has been accused of stealing millions of dollars from his customers at ePassporte to fund the creation of the, of which he produced. It paints a rather pretty picture of the rather despicable man, a desperate attempt to ask for forgiveness without taking any responsibility for his actions. I would have enjoyed the film a lot more had it been entirely fictional. However, I was entertained throughout. The narration is unashamedly Goodfellas but it works. Luke Wilson is great as the 'fixer' and Giovanni Ribisi and Gabriel Macht play the two bumbling drug-fuelled friends who inadvertently created the online porn industry rather well. James Caan is great as a greedy lawyer/middleman and there are great cameos from Kelsey Grammer as District Attorney Frank Griffin, Kevin Pollak as FBI Agent Curt Allmans and Robert Forster as Louie LA LA, a loan shark heavy who would rather break a man’s legs than actually collect money owed. It is a run-of-the-mill crime/gangster comedy but there is a certain charm about it that reels you in. I think it is down to Wilson, Ribisis and Macht to be honest, the script isn't great, the structure is actually pretty poor and the much needed suspense just isn't there but the three seasoned character actors bring the story alive and perform above the imperfections of the film. I'm quite glad they avoided showing too much porn too, not because I don't like seeing naked women (I do very much) but because it would have distracted from the story and cheapen it unnecessarily. There is a bit of nudity though, so perverts rest easy. Although the clever aspect of the story is the invention of internet billing, it is fascinating, and rather sad, that it is porn and people's need for a quick sexual release that started the whole trillion dollar process. It's frightening to think what the porn industry has done, from effecting industry, economy and government, and as the film suggests, it even played its part in the war on terrorism. I have no time for Christopher Mallick and his kind but theirs is one of the biggest stories of resent years, they have changed the world for ever, not for the good, but it is what it is and there is a valuable lesson and an entertaining romp to be had through this film.