Respond to these rapid questions in our The Tax Collector quiz and we will tell you which The Tax Collector character you are. Play it now.
A film that is so utterly incompetent that it practically defies criticism is difficult to know where to begin analyzing it. If you’ve ever tried to figure out exactly what went wrong in the kitchen after tasting a bite of something so disgusting that it makes your eyes water and your stomach turn, you’ve been there. When you have food poisoning, it can be difficult to determine where the recipe went wrong. This is basically the situation I’m in right now: I’ve been asked to figure out what exactly went wrong with David Ayer’s “The Tax Collector,” and I’ve only been able to come up with the fact that there was literally nothing here that went right. Once you get past the horribly casual racist stereotypes, the lack of character depth, the incoherent plotting, the clichéd dialogue, and the baffling editing, what is perhaps the most insulting aspect of the whole affair is how mind-numbingly boring it all ended up. If you’re going to make a movie this sloppily, at the very least make it entertaining!
A man named David (Bobby Soto) is the title character of “The Tax Collector,” a film about a man who goes around collecting 30 percent of all gang activity in order to give it to the man at the top, who happens to be played by George Lopez, who plays him against type. David is introduced in a large house with a loving wife and family; he is the type of guy who prays with his family over a family breakfast before heading off to break some kneecaps on the battlefield. David collaborates with his friend Creeper (Shia LaBeouf), who is the driving force behind the operation. David does all of the talking, and Creeper does all of the staring and staring. The majority of the time, they are provided with what they require, but Ayer, in the name of foreshadowing, drops hints about the fragility of their situation from time to time. There are clearly storm clouds on the horizon, whether it’s a pull that leaves them $20k short or the return of an old enemy of their boss named Conejo (Jose Conejo Martin). And, of course, Ayer begins his script by revealing that his daughter’s Quinceanera is quickly approaching, reminding us that he’s just a regular family guy like you and me. We require a compelling reason to be concerned, don’t we? Let us provide him with a wife and children! As a result, it also sets the stage for all of the women in this film to be used as brutalized plot devices, which occurs in a depressingly predictable manner throughout the film.
“The Tax Collector” is a depressing film in every sense of the word. The production of a film that trades in such stereotypical Latinx gang stereotypes that even the writers of “Grand Theft Auto” would call it “two-dimensional” is one thing; the bare minimum you can do is serve me your clichés with a modicum of filmmaking competence is another. I’m not sure if COVID-19 is to blame for the glaring ineptitude with which the second half of this film is executed in terms of fundamental elements such as editing and plotting, but that’s the kindest thing I can think of to say about it. There has been a level of craft to Ayer’s previous films, which was at least a step above what is on display in the final 45 minutes of this film, which alternates between manipulative tropes, brutal violence, and a plot that is impossible to care about. In fact, I can’t recall the last time I couldn’t care less about the death of a major character or how a novel was going to conclude.
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It doesn’t help that Ayer abandons his cast at the end of the episode. One thing that stood out about Ayer was that he seemed to be able to attract quality acting work from people such as Christian Bale in “Harsh Times,” Shia LaBeouf in “Fury,” and Jake Gyllenhaal in “End of Watch.” Everyone in this film is either bad or atrocious, which means that Ayer must be held entirely responsible for all of the film’s acting flaws. Despite the fact that LaBeouf is portraying a Latinx character, he is more accurately portraying a character similar to Gary Oldman’s in “True Romance,” a character who has assimilated the culture. This, however, does not excuse the ridiculously Latinx-heavy impression that is created as a result. LaBeouf has been particularly impressive in recent films such as “Honey Boy” and “The Peanut Butter Falcon.” A terrible waste of his potential has been created here.
The Tax Collector Quiz
At the very least, Shia LaBeouf is a supporting character who attracts your attention because the protagonist is a complete black hole in terms of development and performance throughout the film. Ayer directed Soto to deliver such a lifeless non-performance, despite the fact that the majority of the problem lies in the writing. There is no dialogue or behavior that feels recognizably human in this film, and as a result, even talented actors like Shia LaBeouf appear to be flailing around in search of something to hold onto. Yes, the clichéd performances, particularly those of Shia LaBeouf, are tragic, but one can’t blame them for trying to find something to liven up such a deadly dull film, when it isn’t being grotesquely violent.
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“Tough guy shit,” I jotted down in my notebook at one point. And that’s really all this is: a macho, violent male-oriented filmmaking experiment. It’s tempting to say that no one ever inquired as to what the point of “The Tax Collector” was, but I believe the truth is even worse than that: they were aware that there was no point. It’s always been about the looks, like watching someone play a bad video game about Latinx gang culture. It’s always been about the looks. Actually, playing a video game would be more entertaining.
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The film is now playing in theaters and on digital platforms.Also, you must try to play this The Tax Collector quiz.
For more personality quizzes check this: Promising Young Woman Quiz.
