The Bank Job: Review By slysnide

This was the best bank robbery film I've seen in a long time. I usually don't like British films, but this one takes the cake!!!

The film is based on an actual 1971 robbery of Lloyd's Bank on Baker's Street in London, England, UK. The robbery was recorded by a HAM Radio operator who accidentally picked up the frequency of their walkie talkies, leading police on a goose chase to "find the bank raid" as the newspapers would call it. The thieves however only snatched safe deposit boxes, and not long into the investigation, MI-5 pulled the plug on it, and then a case against a drug dealing pimp who calls himself Michael X finally concluded. They both occurred around the same time, and while the film makers don't know if there were any ties, they decided to tie the two together in a knot to make this one great flick.

The plot reminded me of the typical "under the table" operation that governmental organizations in higher powers like the NSA & CIA try and pull off without anyone suspecting their involvement, like the CIA in the Gulf of Tonkin. Anyway, in this movie, an agent from MI-5 recruits a woman to round up her friends to rob a bank to retrieve some photos of a princess screwing around in the Caribbean. Not that there's anything scandalous about that, but the men and women of MI-5 seem to think so. And they're also the collateral for Michael X to NOT be arrested, so it would be killing two birds with one stone for MI-5.

The fact that the movie becomes extremely fast paced in the last forty minutes or so which breaks the mood of the rest of the film makes it just that more intriguing to watch.

Jason Statham (Death Race/Transporter Trilogy/Crank 1 & 2/The Brazilian Job) plays Terry Leather, an owner of an auto shop that does sleasy business and is recruited by one Martine Love to rob Lloyd's Bank with a little help from his friends, and, Terry accepts. He's realistic about it, and does immense planning for the job to make sure it works out properly. But he's not the expert either, as the obvious reasons as to why there was something fishy about the job never really occur to him. Basically Terry's an average petty crook with a wife and two daughters. I haven't seen Jason on any film before, mostly cuz they looked uninteresting, but this role was great for him, and I'll be watching for more of his films.

Saffron Burrows (Broken Thread/Reign Over Me/Dangerous Parking/The Guitar/Shrink) plays Martine Love, a woman busted for drugs at Heathrow Airport whom is given a proposition by an agent of MI-5 to rob a bank, with a catch. And when certain things go wrong, she sticks around to make it right. I've never heard of Saffron either, but her character kept her wits about her, yet made her deception of the thieves rather obvious at times. And that kinda bugged me, but she was good nonetheless.

Stephen Campbell Moore (Amazing Grace/The History Boys/Rough Crossings/Official Selection/The Day) plays Kevin Swain, Terry's good friend and right hand man in the robbery that seems to be the one making calls as to who does and doesn't get cut in for a piece of the loot. Kevin is cautious, knows to stick around when needed rather than run off, and does the right thing as well...according to a thief that is. I've never heard of this guy either, but he was my second favorite of the thieves in the film.

Daniel Mays (Middletown/A Good Year/Atonement/Shifty/Hippie Hippie Shake/Mr. Nobody) plays Dave Shilling, a former actor and cameraman for porno films that he produced with Kevin, and isn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to keeping on the down low before, during, and after the robbery. Especially when slumlord and porn king Lew Vogel spots him and seems to easily recognize him, which could be bad for everyone. But Shilling seemed to be the comic relief of the film, and when his character gets into deep water the film really turns in it's tone.

David Suchet (A Perfect Murder/Wing Commander/Foolproof/Flood/Act Of God) plays slumlord and porn king Lew Vogel. He's bought out a vast amount of the London Police and does business dealings with Micheal X, the drug dealer and pimp. Lew has low morals and WON'T hesitate to do the worng thing to square things away for himself and Micheal. This guy was the real villain of the movie that you really wanted to see brought down. And David really brought that menacing presence to the role. He was simply excellent.

Peter De Jersey plays Micheal X Abdul Malik. He's a drug dealer, pimp, and criminal. After leaving for Trinidad when his friend Hakim Jamal had finished promoting his book about his life struggles, Micheal suspects a mole in his ring. Especially when Vogel calls to confirm that certain prospects of his are in jeapordy. Peter was good at playing the paranoid bad guy with little real power once outside his domain, and he was basically just the guy that seemed so inept that you wanted him to be taken out also for the sake of the thieves. I've never heard of this actor either, but he was great.

Michael Jibson (English Goodbye/Flyboys/Lezione 21/Freakdog) plays Eddie Burton, employee at Terry's auto shop that's shanghaid into the robbery as the lookout who doesn't get paid. He also provided comic relief, though unfortunately provides good collateral for Lew Vogel when things go wrong.

Richard Lintern (The Calling/Syriana/Natasha/Cassandra's Dream/Unmade Beds)plays Tim Everett, the agent from MI-5 that recruits Martine for the bank job. As much as he's just doing his job, for some reason, I don't like him, and I don't think the viewers were made to like this guy that much, but he does have feelings for Martine.

Gerard Horan (TV: Casualty/Doctor Who/Kingdom/Lark Rise To Candleford) plays Sargeant Roy Given, the head of the investigation into the Lloyd's Bank Robbery that does his own undercover work after MI-5 kicks him off the case. That made him the good cop that you wanted to both succeed so he could shove it in MI5's face, but also fail so the thieves would come out on top. I really like these kind of characters, and Gerard really added to the role in regards to how believable he was.

James Faulkner (Day Of Wrath/The Conclave/The Good Shepard/Hitman/God Thinks You're A Loser)plays Guy Stringer, a petty crook and con man that's out of the business and had since opened a fashion designer store in London until he accepted Terry's offer to be involved with the bank job for his 'charming' talents to keep away the susp*cious persons. Although, he keeps no connections with Terry after the robbery, and so he gets little screentime in comparison to the other actors. But James was indeed good at playing that role, or should I say, he was good at his character's role playing.

Alki David (London Kebabs/The Freediver/Opa!/Fishtales) plays Bambas, the last thief in the robbery who makes use of his tools to dig his way under the floor of the main vault. He too didn't have any conections with Terry after the job, so he also had little screentime. I've never heard of this actor either, but like the others, he was good.

Other characters include city officials nivolved in potential sex scandals that are only scandalous if other incriminating evidence makes it's way out of the bank which provides some good, yet awkward, comedy.

Overall, the fast paced timing the film picks up when Terry must save his buds from the bad guys of London (sounds juicy doesn't it) really makes this an awesome flick to watch. As well as all the scenes preceeding it which never let up. Director Roger Donaldson has once again made a great film, which is an excellent addition to a thrilling genre.