Rating: 3 Pulses
Jason Stathom, Saffron Burrows
Directed by Roger Donaldson
Rated R
This is a thriller based on the true story of a bank heist, but the thieves are actually the most innocent people involved. The real-life heist this film is based on, a 1971 Baker Street robbery which was prevented from being told for over 30 years because of a government gag order, was one of the biggest robberies in British history?with no arrests made or money recovered. But the film reveals murder, corruption and a sex scandal with links to the royal family. Expect to be bored the first 45 minutes of the film?this could’ve been a made-for-TV movie. However, if you hold out, you will finally see suspense build. This is no Snatch, but it’s better than today’s average British films. I’ll say with certainty it will not be mentioned at the Oscars.
Jason Stathom is good as Terry Leather, a smart but down-on-his-luck thief, but Saffron Burrows, from TV’s “Boston Legal” is so bad it’s hard to not be distracted. I don’t think she will find much success in the world of cinema. Leather is a character reminiscent of “Turkish” from Snatch, but none of the characters are really fulfilled.
This is director Roger Donaldson’s 17th film. None have achieved great success, with the possible exception of 1995’s Species, though not a critical or commercial hit, it gained somewhat of a cult following.
Poor editing makes The Bank Job too long. It contains unnecessary nudity, sex and even masochism so offensive I noticed a couple actually walk out. I would most likely have done the same had I not been dedicated to letting you know about this film. This feature does redeem itself in the last half. Many twists and turns make you wonder how it ends.
Still, I do not recommend going to see this movie. The score is lacking, so you won’t be missing out on anything musically, aside from one of my favorite ’70s bands, T-Rex, while their hit “Bang A Gong” is played during the opening scene.
