Shia LaBeouf had something to be excited about on Friday.
The actor / artist, 34, was full of energy when he was spotted on a morning jog in his Los Angeles neighborhood.
The often-shy camera talent looked to be in good spirits, outside on the release day of his new movie The Tax Collector.
Have a nice day: Shia LaBeouf looked excited about the release of her new movie The Tax Collector on Friday
Shia smiled and waved her hand, pounding the sidewalk in a pair of cozy leggings and a blue tee shirt that hugged his toned chest.
Her hair was slicked back and her eyes were hidden behind yellow sunglasses. The former Disney Channel star was maskless when exiting.
While Shia is clearly thrilled with The Tax Collector’s release, the film is already facing a bit of controversy.
Director David Ayer recently had to defend the project after accusations that LaBeouf’s character was an example of brownface.
Fit like a violin: Shia smiled and waved her hand, pounding the sidewalk in a pair of tight-fitting leggings and a blue t-shirt that hugged her toned torso
Ayer’s latest film tells the story of a crime lord’s “ tax collector ” that’s Los Angeles, and how his life is turned upside down when a rival boss comes to town.
The cast is almost exclusively Latinx POC, with the exception of LaBeouf, 34, who donned dark hair and a “ barrio accent. ”
Several social media users accused LaBeouf of taking on a cholo character in Los Angeles and looking “ Mexican ” for entertainment purposes.
In two interviews with LA Times, Ayer doubled down on his stance and didn’t give up on his choice to cast LaBeouf as “ Creeper. ”
“It’s a white who plays a white. He doesn’t take anybody’s work, ” the director told the publication.
Ayer first hit back at brownface’s allegations on Twitter on July 1, where he again insisted that LaBeouf played a white man in the film.
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Problematic or not? Critics accused LaBeof of doing brownface in new movie
Surface level: Critics pointed out LaBeof’s appearance in The Tax Collector, as well as an apparent ‘barrio accent’
‘Really important answer – Shia plays a white boy who grew up in the neighborhood. He’s a Jewish guy playing a white character. Also the only white guy in the movie, ”he wrote.
Ayer, a white man who grew up in California, added in a series of follow-up tweets that he grew up around Chicano culture.
“I grew up in the neighborhood and I’m a white boy. Chicano culture is inclusive – I have seen Whites, Asians, Blacks, Filipinos all get down to work for the neighborhood. It’s part of the street culture, ”he wrote.
It has been noted that The Tax Collector does not specifically establish the ethnicity of LaBeouf’s character.
“I understand the complexity of issues of historical representation in film and brownface. … It’s also like “American Me”, “Blood In Blood Out”. It’s a “hood culture thing,” Ayer added.
Director David Ayer, a white man who moved to Los Angeles as a teenager, has denied claims that he made it easier to brown face in his film.
The 52-year-old filmmaker explained, “ Shia plays a white boy who grew up in the neighborhood. He’s a Jewish guy playing a white character. Also the only white guy in the movie ‘
Ayer: “I grew up in the neighborhood and I’m a white boy. Chicano culture is inclusive – I have seen Whites, Asians, Blacks, Filipinos all get down to work for the neighborhood. It’s part of the street culture ” Pictured: Shia LaBeof in The Tax Collector
Critics of The Tax Collector also said the film applies harmful and violent stereotypes associated with the Mexican-American Mafia.
“ My first impression was, ‘Oh look, a cool movie with Shia LaBeouf,’ and technically that is what it is, ” said Lalo Alcaraz, the cartoonist and editorial satirist.
“There isn’t literally a brownface, but it’s definitely a cultural brownface.
Some members of the Tax Collector’s cast have since spoken out in defense of both Ayer’s ability to cover Latin American communities and LaBeouf.
Chelsea Rendon, who played Lupe in The Tax Collector, called the film a “ very good story. ”
Pictured: Shia LaBeouf immerses ‘Creeper’ in The Tax Collector movie trailer, released in July
“ I think it’s just a really good story, showing the gravelly streets, and that’s what David does best, when you think of ‘Training Day’, ‘Harsh Times’ and ‘End of Watch’, they have that granularity to them, ‘she says.
‘In all these films, [Ayer] included the Chicano culture, he did that in ‘Suicide Squad’ where he had first Latino superhero Jay Hernandez play in the Diablo, he put the brunettes in front of the camera more than anyone else, ” said Bobby Soto, the protagonist of the film.
“He’s Chicano on the inside, he’s 100,000%, it’s crazy.
Regarding the brownface claims, Rendon added that LaBeof’s character is recognizable to those who grew up in the area anyway.
“Shia plays a white boy who grew up around Mexicans, and if you grew up in the neighborhood, you know that white boy! she says.