Give "American Animals" director Bart Layton credit for turning what would have been a mildly interesting heist tale into a fascinating examination of crime and the unfettered thinking of youth. His factionalized accounts of a robbery gone band works because the filmmaker best known for his documentary work took some big chances with his first foray into scripted moviemaking.
The plot of "American Animals" sounds like fiction. Four bored University of Kentucky students decide in 2004 to steal rare books from Transylvania University's special collections library. No, these books aren't about Dracula, but include original John James Audubon prints. They see the robbery not as a criminal act but as a way to make some easy money.
To the four, the plan is simple. They will enter the poorly guarded library, overpower the librarian, toss the books and prints in a large bag and be out the door before anyone knows what has happened. The fact that no one will get hurt makes the decision to enter into a life of crime so appealing.
The planning, execution and results of such an endeavor has the same superficial look as many a TV or film offering. This is where Layton takes the familiar and makes it fascinating and fun. Layton, who also wrote the script, uses his background in documentary filmmaking _ that includes the much heralded 2012 release "The Imposter" _ to create a film hybrid.
The story is played out by four young actors _ Barry Keoghan, Evan Peters, Jared Abrahamson and Blake Jenner _ but Layton elevates the movie by having the participants talk directly to the camera. This is nothing new used as recently as in "I, Tonya." What makes Layton's version different is these testimonial sections are done by the four actual participants.
It took some convincing, but Layton was able to get the four to talk about events as they remember them. It's intriguing to watch these real participants talk in documentary fashion about the robbery and then see it played out in scripted style where even eyewitness accounts by those in the middle of the event can be vastly different. In several scenes, Layton takes the contradictory recollections of the participants and instead of picking the one that sounds the most incredible, films each version. How each recalls the crime reveals great insight into what the college students were thinking.
That's the other part of "American Animals" that is so strong. Layered on top of this crime drama is a compelling look at how breaking the law isn't necessarily the aftermath of a bad childhood or out of a desperate need for survival. Childhood friends Spencer (Keoghan) and Warren (Peters) decide to commit the crime as a rebellious act against their suburban upbringing. Their planning process has the same tone and rhythms as a group of college students planning how to commit the most debauchery while on spring break.
The real Warren Lipka is particularly interesting among all four of the convicted felons, as his recounting seems to show the least amount of remorse. It does show that Lipka is the kind of big personality that would hold together such a motley crew of criminals, even when it looked like the plan had failed. Seeing the real Lipka talking about the robbery offers an insight into this latest film based on true events others don't have.
Peters manages to capture that personality in his performance in a very real way. When dealing with a character who comes across larger than life, it's easy to overplay the role. Peters has just enough energy and charisma to make this work.
The touch of reality sprinkled through tale continuously grounds the production and fortifies the fact this movie is based on a true story. So many movies based on real events tend to wander away from actual events to create more drama. Each time one of the real criminals pops up in "American Animals" it is a sharp reminder the truth _ or at least the truth as best remembered _ is what matters most with this production.
Layton's film doesn't have the big set pieces or massive chase scenes that tend to fill the screen of heist films _ especially those released during the summer. The director was smart enough to listen to the documentarian in his head and trust that a tale of larceny conveyed through a strong re-staging of the real events coupled with a recounting that comes from the source is enough to steal the attention of moviegoers.
