The Bank Job (2008)

You'll be entertained.
I thought going in that this would turn out to be just another in the long line of generic bank heist movies that came before it; it wasn't.
The heist is essentially completed by the halfway point and the rest of the movie deals with the machinations that lead to it and its repercussions.
The mix of intrigue, action and interesting characters left me very satisfied when it was time for the credits to roll.

A refreshing surprise...exciting and thoroughly entertaining!
THE BANK JOB is a bit of a throwback to a different kind of crime movie. In this day and age, most heist movies are super high-tech (THE ITALIAN JOB, any of the OCEAN'S movies) and usually an occasion for big name stars to do a little slumming. They may be lots of fun, but they are also sleek and modern. But THE BANK JOB takes place in 1970, and it is a gritty little period piece.

There's no mistaking it for a film actually MADE in 1970. There's too much graphic sex and nudity, the language is too harsh. Also, star Jason Statham's hair isn't what you'd see in the 70s. But it feels very specific to its time and is refreshingly low tech. Jackhammers, shovels, walkie-talkies. It's in a time WAY before computers on every desk and cell phones in every pocket. No internet. No email. Just rotary dial telephones. A time before criminals worried about leaving DNA evidence behind.

It's based on or inspired by the true story of the most lucrative bank robbery in British history (some 4 million pounds). The robbers dug a tunnel underneath a couple of shops and emerged beneath the vault of a branch of Lloyds bank. They opened all the safety deposit boxes and disappeared with a wide and sundry list of items. Apparently, many, many of the box owners declined to tell what items were stolen from them, so the filmmakers have created a rather elaborate scheme involving blackmail, homegrown terrorists, prostitution and miscellaneous indiscretions at the highest levels of government to "explain" why so many folks were too ashamed to admit what they kept stored in the vault. It's a complex little plot, but it is neatly put together and actually fairly fun to follow.

Jason Statham is the nominal leader of a gang of minor criminals who are lured into going for "one big job" by Saffron Burrows, a former school chum who grew up and left their low-class neighborhood to become a model. After a serious brush with the law, she's given a second chance by agreeing to convince her old chums to rob this bank. Easy pickings, she tells them. Of course, she has been directed to recover a specific, highly incendiary packet of photos. Photos that several warring factions want to get, and they'll use just about any means at their disposal to do so.

We've got a wide assortment of bad guys, ranging from simply nasty to murderously insane. Into this brew our group of eager but mostly incompetent robbers are thrown. With a mixture of luck, force of will and some innate, brute cleverness, they muddle their ways through.

I don't want to reveal too many specifics of the plot, because the primary fun of this film IS the plot. The characters are loosely drawn...we just get enough on everyone to stereotype them. The movie is packed with characters, and moves at such a brisk pace that there really isn't time for depth. There are some super tense scenes when a ham radio operator picks up the conversations between the robbers and their lookout...will the cops figure out which bank is being robbed in time? There are lots of unusual touches like that throughout the movie.

THE BANK JOB also features Jason Statham's best performance to date. I realize that might not being saying much. His prior films, whether good or not, didn't exactly thrive on his subtleties as a performer, but rather on his brute persona and fighting skills. In this film, I believe he's finally emerged with a credible, engaging performance. Except for one brief scene at the end, he never is compelled to violence, so he has to rely on his wits and his charm. Both are on display here, so even if the movie isn't a huge hit, I think Statham might start taking on some more juicy work in the future.

This is an adult caper movie. As I hinted, it deserves its R rating. But it sure is a lot of fun, and while it no doubt will be gone soon from the collective memory, it is well worth your time.

"The Bank Job" is great!
"The Bank Job" is great! This is how the story goes: A car dealer with a dodgy past and new family, Terry has always avoided major-league scams. But when Martine, a beautiful model from his old neighborhood, offers him a lead on a foolproof bank hit on London's Baker Street, Terry recognizes the opportunity of a lifetime. Martine targets a roomful of safe deposit boxes worth millions in cash and jewelry. But Terry and his crew don't realize the boxes also contain a treasure trove of dirty secrets - secrets that will thrust them into a deadly web of corruption and illicit scandal that spans London's criminal underworld, the highest echelons of the British government, and the Royal Family itself...the true story of a heist gone wrong...in all the right ways. The cast led by Jason Statham (as Terry Leather) is great! The directing by Roger Donaldson (who also directed "The Recruit" (2003), "Thirteen Days" (2000), "Dante's Peak" (1997), "Species" (1995), "The Getaway" (1994), "No Way Out" (1987), & "The Bounty" (1984) is excellent! The story and screenplay by Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais (both who also wrote the story and screenplay to "Across The Universe" (2007) is excellent! The music by J. Peter Robinson is great! The cinematography by Michael Coulter (who also did the cinematography to "Love Actually" (2003) is excellent! The film editing by John Gilbert (who also did the film editing to "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" (2001) & "Bridge To Terabithia" (2007) is excellent! The casting by Lucinda Syson (who also did the upcoming "Speed Racer" (2008) is excellent! The production design by Gavin Bocquet (who also did the production design to all of 3 of the "Star Wars" prequels and the 2 "XXX" movies) is excellent! The art direction by Phil Harvey (who also did the art direction to all of 3 of the "Star Wars" prequels and "XXX" (2002) & Mark Scruton (both who also did the art direction work to the upcoming "Made Of Honor" (2008) is excellent! The set decoration by John Bush (who also did the set decoration to the upcoming "Made Of Honor") is excellent! The costume design by Odile Dicks-Mireaux (who also did the costume design to "10,000 B.C." (2008), which, of course, was released on the same date, ironically enough) is excellent! This is an great heist thriller that keeps you thinking and interested. This is also one of the better movies of this year, so far.