The Bank Job

The Bank Job (2008) starring Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows.

Pre film thoughts...well I have heard a mixture of things about this film, some say good, some say bad, so my mind was undecided about this movie before I saw it. Based on a true story it had potential but at the same time I feared that they would take it too far and it would become over the top and far too actiony for my liking.

The plot revolves around Terry Leather (Statham) a low-level artful dodger type crook who scams people by turning the clocks back on cars. Returning into his life comes Martine Love (Burrows) who suggests to him that they should rob a bank while the alarm is off for two weeks. So he brings together some friends and off they go to do a once in a lifetime robbery...but there is a catch Burrows really wants to get her hands on some compromising photos of a member of the royal family that are in one of the safe-deposit boxes. What ensues is a cat and mouse tale where the robbers are the most innocent people involved!

This is a slight change from the usual action for Statham and he does surprisingly well in this role. Played with empathy and charisma, he is great to watch on screen. The characters around him are also full and well structured, perhaps because it is based on a true story. The plot to begin with seems slow and clichéd and it felt like it wasn't going anywhere fast, however as you get into the meat of the story it starts to flow and gel together really well.

As I had no major expectations from this movie, I was happily surprised at how good this movie actually was. Initially it seemed clichéd and doomed to a plot that we have seen before but there are areas which take it beyond the clichéd and make it seem more real. The movie has a feel of "Lock, Stock..." or "Snatch" but ultimately it is far more believable than either of them.

Although not the most intelligent film out there this film has enough charm and plot to draw you into it. Statham chose well on this project, and in some ways I hope he is able to balance the two different roles he plays (ridiculously stupid and over the top action heroes [Transporter & Crank] to characters that have more substance and are actually well acted [The Bank Job, London]). Take it from me, if you want an enjoyable night in with a film that balances the action and plot brilliantly check this one out at your local store! It definitely gets my vote!

★★★★☆