The Take (2007)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Brad Furman

Writers (WGA):

Jonas Pate (written by) &
Josh Pate (written by)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

After he's shot during a heist in East L.A., an armored-truck driver (Leguizamo) wrestles with rehabilitation and tracking down the man (Gibson) who committed the crime.

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

John Leguizamo	...	Felix De La Pena
Tyrese Gibson	...	Adell Baldwin
Rosie Perez	...	Marina De La Pena
Bobby Cannavale	...	Agent Steve Perelli
Matthew Hatchette	...	Agent Forest Baxter
Yul Vazquez	...	Marco Ruiz
Carlos Sanz	...	Det. Victor Martinez
Jake Muxworthy	...	Jimmy Grannis
Laurence Mason	...	Curtis Fellows
Roger Guenveur Smith	...	Dr. Phineas
Jessica Steinbaum	...	Rosey De La Pena
David Castro	...	Bartender
Taylor Gray	...	Javy De La Pena
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tina Adams	...	Doctor
Nick Rey Angelus	...	Hospital Homeboy
J. Boss	...	Security Gaurd
Curt Bouril	...	Fireman
Cass Alexander Brown	...	Coroner
Victor Buno	...	Preacher
Cristos	...	Barry Munoz
Kevin Dunigan	...	Ellis Hawk
Bryeon Earle	...	Surgical nurse
Christian George	...	Bill White
Pride Grinn	...	Tony Oppenheimer
Mari Haig	...	Doctor
Julanne Chidi Hill	...	Nikki Singletary
Astrelle Johnquest	...	Nurse
Ray Latulipe	...	Jim Clark
Joshua LeBar	...	Officer
Margarita Lugo	...	Dolores Furcal
Aris Mendoza	...	Bonnie
James Molina	...	Antonio Cruz
Juan Pacheco	...	Manuel Padilla
Jerrod Paige	...	Cop
Russell Peters	...	Dr. Sharma
Danielle Sapia	...	Jimmy's Girlfriend
Greg Siff	...	Coroner
Sam Upton	...	Phillip Morrison

Directed by
Brad Furman

Writing credits (WGA)
Jonas Pate		(written by) &
Josh Pate		(written by) (as Joshua Pate)

Produced by
J. Boss	....	executive producer
Matthew Hatchette	....	executive producer
Marco Martinez	....	consulting producer (as Marco Antonio Martinez)
Braxton Pope	....	producer
Steven Quarles	....	executive producer
John Saviano	....	co-producer
Alexander Tabrizi	....	executive producer
Andrew Weiner	....	producer

Original Music by
Chris Hajian

Cinematography by
Lukas Ettlin

Film Editing by
Edie Bleiman
Luis Carballar

Casting by
Aaron Griffith

Production Design by
Charisse Cardenas

Art Direction by
Jenny Sterling

Set Decoration by
Dorit Oberman

Costume Design by
Estee Ochoa

Makeup Department
Megan Graham	....	makeup artist
James Servera Jr.	....	hair stylist
Sara Vaughn	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
David J. Bowler	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Craig Borden	....	first assistant director
Jason Halley	....	second second assistant director
Jill Hoppy	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Michael Keith Aleshire	....	leadman
Steven DeSantis	....	construction coordinator
Vincent DeSantis	....	general foreman
Jen Fiedler	....	set dresser
Maureen Kropf	....	lead scenic
Doug Schellhase	....	on-set dresser
Jason Thirlaway	....	property master
Leon Watkins	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Manvel Barsegyan	....	sound mixer
Thomas Curley	....	sound mixer: additional photography
Stephen Hodde	....	additional sound designer
Amy Kane	....	foley artist
Jeff Knudsen	....	boom operator
Phillip Perpich	....	field recordist
Steven Ticknor	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steven Ticknor	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Giuliano Fiumani	....	special effects coordinator
Jason Thirlaway	....	special effects
Thad Whitley	....	dental technician

Visual Effects by
Tom Howard	....	digital artist

Stunts
Loren Dennis	....	stunt double
Gary Paul	....	stunt coordinator
C.C. Taylor	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Jihan Abdalla	....	photographer
Collin Brink	....	lighting technician
Matt Calonica	....	grip
Eddie San Chan	....	gaffer
Oscar Garcia	....	key grip
Bryan Haigh	....	first assistant camera
Brent Hansen	....	best boy lighting
Jennifer Harville	....	assistant camera
Tom Holzer	....	assistant camera
Tom Howard	....	dolly grip
Kyle Klutz	....	assistant camera
Robert Lam	....	lighting technician
Erwin Landau	....	additional Steadicam operator
BJ McDonnell	....	Steadicam operator
Stanley Newton	....	still photographer
Christina Ortiz	....	film loader
Jon Peter	....	first assistant camera: second camera
Tom Petrushevich	....	best boy grip
Joshua Reis	....	camera operator
Joshua Reis	....	director of photography: second unit
Sergio Villegas	....	lighting technician
Annie Wildmoser	....	second assistant camera
Alexander Yellen	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Irvin Gourgue	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sara Catherine Curran	....	costumer
Marcia Zigler	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Juan Carlos Aguirre	....	additional editor
Jim Eberle	....	digital intermediate on-line editor
Vince Filippone	....	additional editor
Shane Harris	....	digital intermediate colorist
Nick Monton	....	digital intermediate producer

Music Department
Seth C. Harris	....	music supervisor
Yagmur Kaplan	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Justin Steele	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Dr. Josh Baron	....	medical advisor
Tina Betz	....	assistant: John Saviano
Jacqueline Bransky	....	production assistant
Belinda Ellis	....	production accountant
Paola Giordano	....	office production assistant
Ali Gordon-Goldstein	....	production secretary
Torrence Hall	....	armorer
De' Leon Howard III	....	photo double: Tyrese Gibson
Ross Levine	....	assistant production coordinator
Jan McWilliams	....	script supervisor
Kevin Muir	....	location manager
Andrew Poston	....	assistant: Brad Furman
Antonia Raftu	....	assistant: Braxton Pope
Megan Schmidt	....	production assistant
Kim Siedentopf	....	assistant location manager
Denise Skinner	....	location scout
Rob Spence	....	production coordinator
Danae Teran	....	office intern
Mike Tristano	....	armorer
Josh Vignery	....	location scout
Brandon Zinn	....	behind the scenes footage

Production Companies

• Hatchet Films
• Ithaka Entertainment

Distributors

• Destination Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Departure Studios  post-production
• Film Permits Unlimited  permits and production services
• PES Payroll  payroll services
• Soundtrack  ADR Facility

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexual content, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Canada:14A | USA:R | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Hatchet Films

This is what independent film-making is all about

When you have $800,000 to make a film with an actor like Leguizamo and you're on location in a perilous neighborhood…and, when you have the passion and integrity that these filmmakers exhibit, it's difficult not to champion the spirit of independent film-making. As opposed to the grossly budgeted wastes that studios constantly call "films", here we have a filmmaker and a cast dedicated to story and to capturing something of the human condition. Hollywood pretends to have the answers and consequently puts out garbage because it makes money and justifies the jobs of bloated, overpaid executives who wouldn't know "art" if it bit them in the ass. Our culture goes to see these movies because their options are limited because of the far reach of the distribution system in place. That is why Soderbergh and others like him have experimented with non-conventional ways of distributing a film, so that money and time, our most valuable resources, are not squandered, but used wisely to reach more people with stories that are told using hearts, not egos.

I was at the premiere of "The Take" in Toronto last year and was very touched by the "Q&A" that followed the screening. To see this filmmaker stand in front of so many people and thank his parents, his cast and crew in a way that shared the adulation instead of hogging it for his own personal gain…this was encouraging. To learn of the trials and tribulations on this particular film was eye-opening and gave me a better understanding of what goes on "behind the scenes", particularly with little to no money. I'm learning that to get a film made outside the studio system is next to impossible. Many talk, few dare and even fewer actually do. Mr. Furman should be commended for his work, on screen, of course, but sometimes, where somebody might find a story lacking on the screen, if they look towards what happened off-screen, they may be heartened to know that art and artists are fighting hard everyday to bring their perspective of the world to as many people as possible. Nothing is perfect and a film that has all the answers (as most studio films try to convey) is not doing it's job to present the questions.

"The Take" is dark and bleak at times, but underlying its grit is a story of hope, reconciliation and the fight of the human spirit. It is really easy to judge and critique, but for those who have never made a film, perhaps try before you disparage the work of what I consider to be one of our great, future filmmakers and story tellers.

Oh, on a side, yet important note, the performance of John Leguizamo was one of the most real and heart-breaking of seen of his, and he's a fine actor.