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The Bank Job
Directed by: Roger Donaldson
Starring: Jason Statham
Genre:
Action-Adventure
Run Time: 111
min.
Release Date: March 2008
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
THE BANK JOB is almost one of those
guy action flicks that we blokes just love to beat our chests about.
Seeing Jason Statham (CRANK)
as the main character certainly added to this assumption since he’s a
guy’s guy when it comes to action films of late. Known mostly for his
martial arts moves in THE TRANSPORTER series, Statham has become
synonymous with the tough guy image. And although The Bank Job has
elements of Statham’s toughness, it’s not what makes this movie a very
good flick to spend 111 minutes watching.
Most interesting is that the film is based on an actual London crime
where a group of lowly criminals decide to move up to the big time by
robbing a bank. Trouble is, it’s all a ruse to get at some photos that
the British government wants but can’t get to. So MI-6 hires out the job
...supposedly without the knowledge of The Crown or the higher-ups in
the legal system.
Terry Leather (Statham) is the unlucky soul who gets roped into doing
the job by one-time flame Martine Love (Saffron Burrows,
FAY GRIMM), an
extremely attractive woman who’s got an inside scoop on said banks
security system shut down. When Terry and his crew finally do get inside
and begin rifling through the contents of safety deposit boxes, they all
think they’re in hog-heaven. But once finished with the job, Britain's
elite to its scumbags come crawling around, looking for who stole their
belongings, records, photos, and other miscellaneous items. Terry’s team
is in for some rough times. But can Terry get most of them out of it
before it’s too late?
Although no one really knows what happened to the bank robbers (other
than they were probably jailed under assumed names), it is interesting
to look at the history behind the robbery and see how involved England’s
legal system was in everything after the heist. None of the names of the
criminals was ever released. Nor were their sentences. Nothing of their
identities has ever been seen by the public, even though this was a
public crime perpetrated against a public entity (a bank).
There’s a lot going on in the story, too, so it’s pretty convoluted but
the story holds together exceptionally well. Director Roger Donaldson
(THE WORLD’S FASTEST INDIAN) is to be commended for that; this thing
could’ve got completely unwieldy, I’m sure.
Statham carries the film well on dramatic chops and not his normal
action/martial arts ones. His overwhelming affection for his wife (Keeley
Hawes,
DEATH AT A FUNERAL) is portrayed with just the right amount of
tenderness and tough-love. His caring for his team is also well played,
especially when they begin to disappear in not-so-pleasant ways.
All-in-all, this is a very well put together flick, with just the right
doses of action and drama to make one enjoy every minute of it.
(back to top) |
Image from The Bank Job
DVD cost: $18,99
Purchase:
Tower.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
In its edition of February
16, 2008 The Daily Mail newspaper reported "The four men caught, charged
and convicted of the raid went to jail without ever having their names
mentioned in the press, and to this day their identities and the
circumstances of their capture remain secret. Even the lengths of their
sentences are still shrouded in mystery."
Movie Quote: "Alright,
let's make some money!"
Other Actors/Actresses
from The Bank Job
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