The Bank Job
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Movie Reviews of The Bank Job
Movie Review: 4 1/2! Great movie
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Bank Job", directed by Roger Donaldson
London, 1971; Terry Leather (Jason Statham) is a small time crook running a car lot and struggling to keep up with payments owed to a local loan shark. Terry needs something to push him over the thresh hold so he can secure the financial future of his wife and kids. Apparently timing is everything as an old acquaintance of his, Martine Love (Saffron Burrows) approaches him with an offer. It turns out that she has somehow managed to get some inside information on a bank. The alarm has been on the fritz and will be deactivated over a weekend allowing them the ability to enter a vault full of safe deposit boxes the contents of which will not likely be reported by the owners. Unbeknownst to Terry, the British government has a vested interest in the contents of one of the boxes which they can't access themselves as do some of the more powerful criminal elements of London. Terry quickly finds out that robbing the bank is only the beginning as the contents owners are not as quick to let go of their belongings as was originally thought...
"The Bank Job" was a pleasant surprise and a smart move for lead character Jason Statham. He breaks his Kung-Fu, Transporter type cast with this role although he is reprising his "Transporter" role. "The Bank job" is loosely based on an actual bank robbery that took place in London but much of the story presented in the movie is conjecture and artful speculation as is stated in the special features and likely common knowledge for any who were around for the event or have studied it at all. This doesn't make the movie any less interesting or entertaining however and the viewer is given a reasonably complex plot that involves many local gangsters, crooked cops, political figures and a crooked social activists of the era.
The Good: The story was great and involves many people in a connect the dots of crooks, cops and politicians type of story with solid plot twists and turns. The cast all around gave great performances. As far as cinematography the movie looked great and sounded great as well.
The Bad: nothing memorable
Overall: One of the better movies I have seen this year. If you haven't viewed this pick up a copy today!
Movie Review: A Bank Job Goes Wrong for All the Right Reasons!
Summary: 4 Stars
THE BANK JOB is first class entertainment - a well-written script (Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais) with many twists and turns, face paced direction (Roger Donaldson), and a reliable cast of actors who know this genre well. AND it is all based on a true event from 1970 when a bank heist in London resulted in a number of falls of the heads of government who were locking away their 'dirty underwear' in the safety deposit boxes of a quiet bank on Baker Street. A great, unique movie this is not, but it is one that provides close to two hours of complex but highly suspenseful antics that keep the viewer glued to the screen.
Terry Leather (Jason Statham) isn't making it as a car salesman and has debts to pay to the crime world. He meets an old sweetheart Martine Love (Saffron Burrows) who proposes that Terry and his friends rob a bank that is due for security repairs and a fairly surefire safe means to instant wealth. Martine just happens to be working with a fellow who wants some rasty photographs of Princess Margaret in questionable sexual liaisons and has Martine setup the 'easy heist'. Terry and friends agree to the too-good-to-be-true venture and begin to burrow into the bank vault under cover of night and clever means. Once the 'keystone cops' of London arrive on the scene the comedy portion begins, but when Terry, Martine and friends successfully achieve their goal, all manner of complications occur and the ways in which police and governmental corruption color the picture makes for a solid ending. As a fine addendum, the true facts of this actual heist and resulting events are flashed on the screen before the closing credits.
The cast (including such fine actors as Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays, Alki David, James Faulkner et al) seems to have a great time with the caper and there is just the right balance between suspense and comedy to make the movie work. And oh the secrets about naughty England we discover! Grady Harp, July 08
Movie Review: Very Good Caper Film Based on "The Baker Street Robbery"
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Bank Job" may not be the greatest caper film ever made, but it is definitely a hugely entertaining one--that is, as long as you ignore plot holes and certain elements familiar in the gangster film genre. The heist film's story, reportedly based on the real crime "The Baker Street Robbery" that happened in London in 1971, is a bit too complicated with subplots about the royal family, corrupt cops, honest cops, a brothel and a political activist, but the fast-paced film is always light and captivating at the same time with the capable British cast.
Jason Statham is Terry Leather, happily married father of two daughters. He is also heavily in debt and needs money now. That is when his former girlfriend Martine Love (Saffron Burrows) shows up before him, offering a lucrative "job" to him. Actually, Martine has her own motives for supporting him. Little did Terry and his team realize that the bank's vault actually keeps some secrets the robbers really don't want to know.
The plot is full of twists and turns and it keeps a good pace throughout the film's 110 minutes. "The Bank Job" changes its tone in the second half where things get more tense and violent even though direct descriptions of violence are avoided. The entire cast did a good job, especially David Suchet as a chilling crime lord. Director Roger Donaldson, as in his "No Way Out," is a skillful storyteller who manages to keep you interested in the story full of tension and suspense as well as incredible coincidences and plot holes (What happened to negatives?).
Perhaps the film ends too neatly and some parts look implausible. I don't know how much of the story is really "based on truth," but "The Bank Job" is still an interesting and enjoyable ride. And try to spot Mick Jagger who briefly appears.
Movie Review: ...The Names Have Been Changed to Protect the Guilty
Summary: 4 Stars
Set in London in the early 1970s, THE BANK JOB is based on real life events. A group of would be criminals is set up by MI5 (or 6, no one can keep them straight) to rob a bank and regain compromising photos of a royal personage. Unfortunately for our gang, not only were the photos in question (which were the "property" of corrupt revolutionary Michael X) kept in a safe deposit box at this bank, but so were the secrets and lies of many famous and infamous people, including the payola ledgers of a porn kingpin and the photo files of a well-placed local madam. Everybody who was anybody, from the cops on the beat up to the Lords of the Realm, was implicated in some scandal by the evidence from this notorious bank robbery.
THE BANK JOB is a fun, exciting, tension-filled romp. These amateur crooks catch more breaks and have more close calls than you would imagine possible. While the film does slightly bog down on occasion, for the most part the pacing builds just the right amount of suspense with these twists and turns of fate. In several places, my heart was actually racing. By the end, our villains are the heroes, and everyone gets what they truly deserve.
I really liked the cinematography of this film. THE BANK JOB actually looks like it was filmed in the 1970s. At one point, I double-checked with my husband to confirm that it was a recent movie. The effect used is very convincing, producing a very authentic look. The ensemble cast was quite good, performing as a cohesive unit, but no individual really standing out.
THE BANK JOB is a great movie for an entertaining evening at home. My husband and I really had a lot of fun. And we got to learn a little history from the 1970s as well.
Movie Review: Exceeds the formulaic take on the bank heist genre
Summary: 4 Stars
I went into "The Bank Job" thinking it would be a rather formulaic cinematic take on the bank heist genre. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. This is quite good stuff! I especially liked the 'Extras' on the DVD, which reinforced how much of the tale was snatched from a real-life event. Hats off to co-writers Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais for wrapping a taut thriller around that.
I was looking for a way to characterize my feeling about Jason Statham. Then, I read this pitch-perfect gem from reviewer Monkdude on these pages: "I'm not the biggest Jason Statham fan, mainly because he always looks and sounds the same in every role, but here he shows a little more range and is quite likeable."
Exactly! He'll always be Handsome Rob (The Italian Job (Special Collector's Edition)) in my book. Lucky for me, he continues to play slight variations on that role. Hey, why mess with success? The guy's carved out quite a good career, despite having started as a model. [Guy Ritchie put him Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Widescreen Edition) straight from a French Connection UK ad shoot.]
What struck me in the Extras is how Statham's managers picked and shepherded this film as a project for him. [I think this was Steve Chasman discussing this point - he's a producer of the film.] I'm impressed. As I mentioned earlier, Statham's got a nice little career going. Good management has definitely played a part in that. Good show, Steve Chasman.