A night of chaos, collisions, and course corrections drives BenDavid Grabinski’s Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice. The film is a mash-up of several genres—action, comedy, science fiction, romance—yet it does not overwhelm viewers because it knows when to hold back. The film follows a night in the lives of soon-to-retire mob hitman Quick Draw Mike (James Marsden), Alice (Eiza Gonzalez), along with two Nicks—Present Nick and Future Nick (Vince Vaughn)—as they get entangled in Future Nick’s plan to right some wrongs, due to conflicts between Mike, Alice, and Nick.
Two plotlines unfold. One follows the titular four as they try to right some wrongs; the other tracks a group of gangsters trying to do wrongs, rightly. In the second storyline, crime boss Sosa (Keith David) gives a toast at a party for his fresh-out-of-prison son, Jimmy Boy (Jimmy Tatro), and delivers an open threat: an informer among the guests, responsible for his son’s arrest, will be killed. While such a moment is usually played with intensity, a goofy Jimmy, echoing his father, briefly makes it laughable. Even so, Grabinski does not neglect the threat, returning to it with a well-rounded closure. The film is replete with such small touches that add to its nuance.
Grabinski ensures that there are no small characters in the film. We see inventor Symon (Ben Schwartz) only briefly at the opening of the film. But his nonchalant handling of high-risk machinery—set against a Billy Joel track—is enough to convey his lethargy, portrayed by a competent Schwartz. As Present Nick, Vaughn excels in portraying subtle cunningness, but as Future Nick, his delivery of wisdom, born out of regret, adds depth to the scenes. Marsden and Gonzalez execute their parts with astute finesse. Even actors like Stephen Root and Dolph Lundgren, who appear momentarily, leave a lasting impression.
While the use of popular independent music to elevate the mood of the scenes is an age-old technique, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice does not bore us with it. This can be attributed to the right choice of tracks that go well with the scenes, as well as Joseph Trapanese’s score. Cinematographer Larry Fong, along with editor Tim Squyres, shifts the scenes through the various moods of the story. The film might appear like a generic comedy at first, but it surprises you with how memorable it becomes in the end.