The Tax Collector

What possessed Shia LaBeouf to get a massive tattoo for this underachieving gangster film?

If one is going to make something this cliché, though, they should at least try to do a good job.

David's a family man who never asked to play a central role in this story. By the end of "The Tax Collector," it's hard to blame him.

One of the most atrocious viewing experiences of the year, "The Tax Collector" relies on a trite visual language built on obvious flashbacks and bland imagery that match the unimaginatively dreadful writing where every Latino in sight is a gangster.

It trots out a lot of posturing and a lot of gang-movie clichés but flails instead of giving us much reason to care.

We've all seen "The Sopranos," and we won't get fooled again.

It's never a good sign when the only lifeblood in your film is the white boy performing offensive gangster cosplay.

A strong supporting cast and a handful of provocatively gruesome action sequences can't save the poorly-paced movie from Ayer's worst instincts: A reliance on macho moralism, uninspired visual language, and broad, often racist stereotypes.

The Tax Collector features confident camera work, one propulsively-edited gun battle, and solid work from its actors, at least for what they're given.

A violent, gore-soaked portrait of gang life with nothing new to say.