Starring: Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore
Director: Roger Donaldson
Release Date: March 7, 2008
Running time: 110min
MPAA Rating: R
Distributors: Lions Gate

- - -

Review by David DiMichele

- - -

The Bank Job has a by-the-book title, but people will be surprised by how smart, inventive and gritty this film actually is. Just look at the poster. There aren’t any overwhelmingly long gun battles between the cops and robbers but rather a basket full of events overflowing the brim of this particular bank job. At the helm is veteran director, Roger Donaldson (Cocktails and The Recruit), and he knows thrills are at their best without any over-the-top action scenes. Amidst all the hoopla of recent heist films, most notably the Ocean franchise, there is something true about The Bank Job. It doesn’t veer off into a fantasy world like Ocean's 13 did. The bank robbery that occurs is so down-to-earth that we can imagine it happening at our local bank. (The film, by the way, is based on a true story - a story that was buried for 30 years due to a government gag order.) It's set in 1971 London and that’s exactly how The Bank Job plays out; almost as if it’s a close cousin to the great heist films of that decade such as The Getaway and Dillinger.

Thief-turned-hero is Terry Leather (Jason Statham), a ordinary man with a wife and two children who finds himself knee-deep in debt to some loan sharks. He’s is the star of the movie. Statham is slowly morphing into a badass Hollywood star along the lines of a young Bruce Willis or maybe even Mel Gibson. Here, Statham abandons what he's done best so far - those fast-paced action and adrenaline films - and settles down to find himself acting quite well. You'll also find some quality one-liners in this film that your stars from the 70s might have said, Clint Eastwood, for example, or Steve McQueen.

When Terry gets a proposition by a former convict/past lover of his, the beautiful Martine Love (Saffron Burrows), to rob a bank’s safety deposit boxes because the alarms will be shut down until they get new ones, he sees it as a blessing and a way out of debt. He hires a fifth-rate team (of very fine actors!) in no time at all. She needs something specific out of one of the boxes but doesn’t tell anyone that, as she’s helping some high-up officers who once helped her out. They're after some valuable information that is stored in one of the boxes - photos that can implicate a member of the Royal family in a sex scandal.

But the goal of the film isn’t to show how Terry and his team succeed in robbing the bank.  Instead Donaldson concentrates on unraveling the series of events that transpire after the robbery occurs, which brings the lowest scum in London out of hiding: an extortionist radical, a porn king and crooked cops. It’s a robbery precipitated by severe circumstances and opens doors to the private lives of the highest and most prestigious people in all of London. Corruption is inevitable here. I’m going to quit telling you about this movie because anymore will spoil it for you. Go see it.

Film Rating: *** 1/2 out of ****

Official [ Movie Site ]

Set as favorite

Bookmark

Email This

Hits: 853

Comments (11)

...

I loved this movie!! You are right, Statham is shaping up to be quite the star. When given the right script anyway.

Jeremy , March 09, 2008

...

Thanks for the review! I almost saw this over the weekend but I hadn't heard much buzz on it yet. I'll have to catch it this week sometime.

yiddidea , March 10, 2008 | url

bank job is....

the bank job is the real thing!!!! Statham really does some good work here and the ensemble cast matches him step by step...probably my favoirte film of the year...

dimichele305 , March 10, 2008

...

I want to see this. Is it anything like the Italian Job?

Jean , March 11, 2008 | url

...

Great review. I'll definitely put this on my to-watch list.

soundtrackgeek , March 11, 2008 | url

Heist Movies

I generally like heist movies. This one didn't really appeal to me through the trailers, but your review definitely makes it sound a bit more appetizing. It's not so easy to find a good movie to watch these days...

Melissa Donovan , March 11, 2008 | url

that's the truth

yea, you're so right, in these dreary days of winter movies are hard to come by that are worthy of trudging out in this weather and viewing..this is one of them...better than the Italian Job

dimichele305 , March 11, 2008

Sold!

You sold me with that fine review! If I disagree, I'm coming back for my $10!

Jaden @ Screenwriting for Hollywood , March 12, 2008 | url

yesss

hey haha no refunds!!! hahaha...kidding...let me know what you thought of the film

dimichele305 , March 13, 2008

The Bank Job - Review

I just saw The Bank Job this afternoon and didn't like the first 20-30 mins at all. I found it started off slow with all the nudity, threesome and sex scenes. The rest of the movie is pretty good. There's a point that I thought it would become just like the other heist movies, such as the Ocean's franchise, but there's a few added twists to it that makes it different. According to my rating system, I would give it a kernel. Out of 4, I would give it 2.5.

Jean , March 13, 2008 | url

...

this movie seemingly slow at the first, but going to fast and thrilling from the robbery and after that. very good movie.

torasham , June 13, 2008 | url

Write comment

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

Add Comment Preview