The Bank Job - quick review (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

This was a very entertaining film from the get-go, and it simmers quite steadily, and maintains most of the tension throughout to the final act in a very satisfying conclusion. Even to the last bit of details as the film concludes with a few screens of text telling the viewer what happened to the characters later, the sense of irony on display is very funny. The casting was uniformily good and solid, Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows being the more recognizable of the cast as the story is about a bank heist in London in the early 1970s.

There is a charm and wit to the screenplay, but it never overwhelms the bank job storyline, nor undercuts the consequences as getting into the bank vault, which proves to be much easier than extricating the gang from further trouble from many fronts after the deed is done. Director Roger Donaldson (who directed that fine thriller "No Way Out" over 20 years ago, and many other films of note in between) has a steady and assured hand in the direction of the film. My audience was in tune with the film's cheeky's humor (laughing at all the right spots), and yet felt aghast when the film turns a bit dark in the final act), but had a fine time overall.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

 

[Don Solosan]

I agree completely. The Bank Job is a tight little thriller, and its particularly interesting how it all turns out. I'm surprised there isn't more discussion of it going on here.

 

[Brent M]

I really want to see this flick, but I'm just too lazy to actually see it in the theater. Hopefully it will hit DVD/Blu-Ray soon as I'm anxious to check it out.

 

[Nelson Au]

I just saw this today and I agree that there isn't more discussion about it. What I liked was how smart it was. It wasn't typical fair from Hollywood. It was taut and the part that was unexpected for me, as I didn't know the details of this true story, was what happened afterwards.

Perhaps part of the problem was what I heard afterwards from my friend, he said there wasn't a car chase. Now he was joking, but I suppose there's a built-in expectation that if Stratham is in a film, it will have a car chase. Or perhaps the darkness of the items found in the vault was the other reason this film is not discussed or has found a wider audience.

The audience I saw it with was smart enough to follow it through and also laughed at the right moments as well as react to the downfall of the bad guys.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Agreed - good flick and Statham surprised me with his acting.

 

[Henry Gale]

Saw this film yesterday and really enjoyed it.
I was alone in the theater..

Any else notice Mick Jagger in a small non-speaking role?

 

[DarrenHo]

i really like the movie too. thought it was very intertaining.

 

[Edwin-S]

Good Flick. Seems to be doing only modest business though. 40 million worldwide seems low. Too bad it isn't doing better business. An intelligent "action film" that doesn't go over the top and become a caricature. The cast in the film was uniformly good. Suchet was a surprise. I nearly didn't recognize him from his days as Poirot. He does his usual bang up job of acting in portraying Vogel. Statham does a good job as well. If you haven't seen him in "Revolver" then check it out. He does a pretty good job in that film as well.

The theatrical presentation that I saw was pretty mediocre. The sound was bad. It sounded like there was only one speaker working during the entire film....no surround channels and the sound seemed to come all from the right side of the screen. Theatre presentations are getting so bad that it makes me think that it isn't even worth going to a theatrical viewing anymore. A Theatrical viewing is starting to feel like nothing more than watching a giant TV screen with less quality than your average home theater experience.