John Hillcoat’s Triple 9 opens this Friday, and the fact that it’s not a David Ayer movie doesn’t stop it from being the best David Ayer movie since 2008. That’s not to say it’s necessarily a good movie, but it feels very much like one of Ayer’s testosterone-fueled explorations of man’s unstoppable pull towards violence.
So of course I came home and threw in Ayer’s 2008 gem, Street Kings. I don’t care what anyone says, this is fantastic goddamn entertainment. Thrilling action sequences, real suspense, and a strong cast (who occasionally chew the Los Angeles scenery) make it a fun descent into hero-cop hell. Having already seen the film multiple times I decided to check out Ayer’s commentary this time around. He’s no stranger to movies about the blue and the grey — cops and fuzzy moralities — having written and/or directed Training Day, Dark Blue, End of Watch, and Sabotage, but for my money his most consistently exciting and engaging film is Street Kings.
Keep reading to see what I heard on the Street Kings commentary.
Street Kings (2008)
Commentator: David Ayer (director)
1. The film was shot on Super 35mm. “With a frame like this you can really pack it full of imagery and find some interesting compositions.”
2. They used three Dodge Chargers for the film.
3. The film was originally titled The Night Watchman. It sounds almost like a horror movie, so the title change was probably smart.
4. He likes the opening misdirect that makes the film appear to be about another racist Los Angeles cop before revealing its true colors. “Tom Ludlow doesn’t really see the world through color. In his eyes you’re either good or bad.”
5. Keanu Reeves did all of his own stunts.
6. He knows you’re wondering how Ludlow knew the gun was in the couch after the opening gunfight. “Well ask a cop. The gun is always in the couch.”
7. Ayer makes a curious observation about actors hiding their accents for their roles while introducing Hugh Laurie. “It’s tough for him as an actor because so much energy and focus goes into maintaining an American accent that he has to be a little more on point, a little more focused on that. He can’t be as fancy free as someone speaking in their native accent.” This makes sense, I guess.
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8. Ludlow’s girlfriend, Nurse Grace Garcia (Martha Higareda), was originally a reporter in James Ellroy’s initial script.
9. They took the Dodge Charger to a test track to record all manner of sounds — engine revving, doors opening and closing, braking — “so we had a really high quality sound library and it contributed quite a bit to the feel and mix of the movie.”
10. The scene where Ludlow meets his squad for lunch was filmed at L.A.’s Pacific Dining Car. They wouldn’t close the restaurant while they shot, so “people were walking through our set, trying to sit down.”
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