The Bank Job

The heist/caper genre is usually a reliable one. I’m always entertained by the new methods Hollywood comes up with to tell the familiar tale of a band of misfits with their eyes on a seemingly unattainable prize. Whether it’s the clever approach of the robbery in Inside Man, the intricacies of the Ocean’s Eleven plot, or the innovative swipe in The Thomas Crown Affair, I love watching the so-called “bad” guys pull it off. If you’ve seen one caper, have you seen them all? I don’t think so.

The Bank Job’s title is straight to the point. Quite simply, a small band of crooks is planning to rob a bank vault. Leading the crew is Terry (Jason Statham, Crank), a small-time body shop owner desperate to get out of debt. The robbery idea was hatched by Martine Love, an old acquaintance who resurfaces with the plan. Terry rounds up a few more people, and the gang is in place. Problems arise when it appears that Martine’s motives for the job aren’t just to get rich. It seems she’s after the contents of one particular safe deposit box, and may have jeopardized the crew and pissed off the wrong London thugs in the process. What made this movie so fun was that the crew was getting it from all angles: dodging crooked cops, the British government, and the local hoods. Pretty cool, and it’s all based on a true story, which lends a certain air of realness to all the unbelievable predicaments in which they find themselves. Set in 1971, the movie touches on the Black power movement abroad, and Black militancy, as one of the vault’s boxes contains incriminating photos taken by a Black militant who is using them as leverage against the British government. Sounds farfetched, but apparently it’s true!

I like Jason Statham because he’s one of those ruggedly handsome actors that appeals to men and women equally. He’s attractive but not soft. This is probably the most acting I’ve seen him do, as he’s usually kicking ass all over the place. He didn’t resort to fisticuffs until the movie’s final act, but I knew it was coming eventually. The Bank Job is one of those fast-paced mile-a-minute movies that assaults your senses and keeps you fixated the entire time. I mean, it starts with a threesome for crying out loud. I’m like okaaaaaay, I’m here with my mom. LOL. Anyway, I really dug it, it reminded me of Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smokin’ Barrels. You won’t be disappointed if you’re a fan of the genre. Even if you’re not, who doesn’t like a good caper flick?