Movie Review: The Bank Job

A new British film has arrived on the shores of America, one that I give you “leave” to like. It is good, but not great. The Bank Job, set in the 1970s with its funky garb and anti-everything music, is the perfect backdrop. The villains dig and tunnel beneath the streets of London just as the “free” message of the 1970s tunneled through the clothes, minds, and hearts of young people the world over.

This film sports a fine cast, but someone on the team, however, could have been a little more inventive with the title — perhaps something like “Tunnel Vision.” But there won’t be a “do over” for this title. It runs one hour 55 minutes and is rated a strong R for sex, violence, and language.

The subject of the film is a based on the true story of a well-known 1971 London heist. It is therefore an expected thriller in every sense of the word about a heist gone right. A charming spy, Tim Everett, played by Richard Lintern, orchestrates the way. Martine Love, played by Saffron Burrows, gets caught in airport customs carrying cocaine. Everett approaches her with a deal. Her drug charges will go away if she helps to get some photos from a safe deposit box before they are leaked to the public. The only catch is that it will take a bank robbery to accomplish the deed.

Enter the great British heist. The Brits pull out all the stops. They must retrieve the photos and keep the connection between espionage and the heist completely separate. No one must know the two are tied. They use female spies and counter-spies to get the job done — this is somewhat fleshed out in the film but confusing at the same time. Martine chooses to team up with old flame, Terry Leather, delivered with aplomb by Jason Statham. Terry runs a wannabe upscale auto repair shop that is in hock up to its rear view mirror, and gets constant visits from window- and leg-breakers because he owes his backers money.

Terry involves his family and closest friends in his bank robbery scheme even though he has no knowledge of what is coming his way through Martine and British spies. Only the prospect of jewels and countless cash looms large. He does not know he is really being tapped to secure the contents of box 118. She knows but keeps it from him. And when he puts the two together, sparks fly. Director Roger Donaldson articulates the minutiae involved in planning, preparation, and execution of the heist. This is the meat of the film and also the choicest cut.

Article Author: Heloise

Author, writer, teacher, blogger, keeps a blog The Trough where she writes. She combines spirituality and politics as no other. She is a native of Chicago, who prefers walking as exercise. The author has a B.S., biology and M.A., anthropology, certified science and french teacher.
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