Made

Starring: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Peter Falk, Famke Janssen, Sean 'Coco Puffy Pi Didddleydo' Combs, and Vincent Pastore
Directed/written by: Jon Favreau
Rated: R
Interview w/Jon Favreau
Interview w/Vince Vaughn

Buy It

Made is so money! Probably because auteur Jon Favreau is behind and responsible for it. Now, Jon-Jon's swinging back into theaters with his long anticipated follow-up to Swingers, which he also wrote and starred in. Egomaniac? No just a mega-talented beau.

That other little film, Swingers, helped launched that tall glass of man, Vince Vaughn, into the mainstream. He's scrumptious and talented. Two words: Evil sexy!

Made almost rejoins the Swingers characters Jon and Vince immortalized, as Mike and Trent. The Yin-n-Yang of friends. They're similar in that Vaughn is that same kind of lounge lizard-esque con man without a con; dimwitted with an air of ill-placed superiority. Favreau is his signature calm steady, studying fellow just trying to make it in the big bad voodoo world. The wanna be tough guy/schmuckazoid with the heart of gold. Both are as relaxed and realistic as with their last teaming.

The dialog too is, once again, entertaining fast paced and remarkably believable. If you love voyeuristic films where the film maker almost gives an eerie spying-on-their-lives-as-they-live-them sensation, Made's been made for you.

But, please don't get me wrong. This is no remake, or hack-fest-rip-off extravaganza where a one-shot hotshot writer rewrites a couple of scenes from his first script, then repackages it with a hip title and slips it under the publics' noses. No. Made is fresh and original with two buddies who happen to be similar to his past work.

Story goes Bobby's (Jon Farvabeaneau) is a third class pugilist. A boxer without a punch. He's about as good as Rosie O'Donnell's personal trainer. He sucks okay?

Then he gets a call to do a big job for da boss, Max (Peter- in one of his finest roles ever- Falk). He's to fly to New York, meet with Max's East coast guy, Ruiz (Sean " Puffy the Magic Pi Diddy Dough Daddy" Comb) then make a "drop" of which he is told nothing about and return back to LA a made man. Simple.

That's if he didn't have his lug nut best friend, Ricky (Vince - totally underrated - Vaughn), in tow. Ricky's a kinetic jabber jawed fella. Ricky's a grown-up "why mom?" kid, who never seems to get it, quick to start an argument and always inserting his size 13 shoe into his, admittedly, adorable mouth. This is by far the last person you want to be around when discreet is in order. Frankly, it seems if this guy looked more like Geoffrey Rush, and less like a sweet apple pie coolin' in the window sill, he have been been iced years ago by someone just doing the rest of the world a quick favor......He's very obnoxious is all I'm sayin'. Still Bobby "vouches" for the maniacal misfit with Max and the two skeedattle off to the big apple.

When the two arrive in New York they are met by a smooth stereotyped mob looking driver (stereotyped Vincent Pastore) and are whisked off to the SoHo Grand. The boyz are in the lap of luxury, and in bed with some kind of devil to be sure.

Ricky wants to shed his blue-collar background and over compensates for his lack of.... wallet by over spending, over partying and over stepping his place in mixed company. Bobby's getting nervous. If Max finds out about his friend's nonprofessional behavior on the job, Frick and Frack may be getting a visit from a professional.....if you know what I mean.

Oops, no need to wait for Max to find out. Ruiz , unimpressed with the tacky "ginnys," sends them "over the bridge" into New Jersey to handle the mysterious fore mentioned drop with Irish thugs.

Sounds more like a death sentence than a chance to broaden their Garden State knowledge. Poor schmucks...

Favreau, who wrote and directed this, has once again successfully mixed action, comedy and drama in equal parts. Subtle pieces, like the boys' continual arguing which leaves them progressively cut and bruised in the film, or the rapid cliché ridden banter by Vaughn, just ad to the hilarity of Made.

He and Vaughn shine so brightly together, they snagged Made's whole 1000 watt spotlight and left only a 15 watt bulb for the rest of the equally bright cast to share.

Actress, Famke Janssen, is her usual impeccable self. Once again she brings to the screen another femme fatale played to perfection. She was gorgeous as Jesse the stripper/single mom Bobby's willing to end up sleeping with the fishes for.

Sean Combs was okay. Nothing spectacular or Oscar worthy...I'll wait till his next outing to judge da man. Evidently he's been Commander McBragging all around the press circuit about his spectacular performance. Maybe they edited it?

Vince Vaughn had me all hot and bothered to be sure. Thank goodness he was so obnoxious in this— because at his last, sadly, hardly seen movie, The Cell, I had to be reprimanded by pimply multiplex staffettes a few times for cat calling at the screen. Here, by shear repulsion of the character, I was able to maintain a remarkably calm composure. That tall hunky mankabab sandwich !

Get out and see this as soon as you can. Be there opening day, if you know of Favreau or Vaughn's work! Enjoy.

Did you know Jon hosts a different style "talk" show on cable's Independent Film Channel (IFC) called Dinner For Five? It's gaining in popularity as we read!

Emily Blunt's Interview with Jon Favreau
Emily Blunt's Interview with Vince Vaughn

Snack Recommendation: Chucky Cheese's and Aperitifs.

Official MADE Site | Independent Film Channel ( For Jon's New show)