Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have shown a knack for hardboiled black comedy before , notably in `` You Kill Me , '' and it 's easy to imagine that the Coen brothers could have fashioned something sharp and funny out of this dismal true story . ` ` Pain & Gain , '' directed by Michael Mann , is based on a true crime story . The film stars Mark Wahlberg , Anthony Mackie and Dwayne Johnson . The director 's callous contempt for human life is plain to see .
` ` Pain & Gain , '' directed by Michael Mann , is based on a true crime story . The film stars Mark Wahlberg , Anthony Mackie and Dwayne Johnson . The director 's callous contempt for human life is plain to see .