The Bank Job - Review

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The Bank Job
****-

Jason Statham has rarely left me dissappointed. Whether he's deflecting rockets with trashcan lids in The Transporter, or loudly cursing his way through a heist in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, or even doing all sorts of unspeakable acts in Crank, I am never left wanting more. Usually I'm not entirely certain that's a good thing, but in these cases at the very least I'm satisfied. So when I heard he was in The Bank Job, I knew exactly what to expect, and that included all kinds of entertaining tastelessness.

But the Bank Job suprised me.

True, Jason Statham is exactly the same in this role as any other film released during his career. But is that a bad thing? In the context of a film I could literally watch this guy rob, kill, or have sex with anything. Preferably at the same time. Which he probably already did in Crank. I'm happy to see him again. So although The Bank Job doesn't make you feel AS dirty as some of the film's previously mentioned. It's still rife with foul language and nudity. What I'm saying here is, it's not a family flick.

But man is it fun.

Fullfilling the stereotypical heist film profile, the story begins with a series of confusing and probably unnecessary flashbacks (the first couple minutes or so I missed while throwing quarters into a meter). We're introduced to Terry Leather (Statham) and his bumbling buddies as their car dealership is hustled and threatened by a number of annoyed "investors." They need money. Their friend Martine (Saffron Burrows) is in need of something else, and so proposes a plan to rob the Baker Street Bank in London. Unknowingly, they become pawns of the MI5, enemies of crooked cops, and a threat to some seriously twisted underground club-owners.
The fun is seeing it all come together. What begins as the predictable "Bank Job" instead turns into a lesson on negotiation and sacrifice. It's a crooks tutorial on how to have your cake and eat it too. If you manage to look past some of the now cliched plot devices, you'll find yourself incredibly immersed in charming characters, great performances, and excellent writing.

And, supposedly, (with an extra emphasis on "SUPPOSEDLY") it's a true story.

Now, even if that happens to be marginally verified, it's still a well told story nonetheless. It's a story I could easily imagine being told by someone personally involved and extrapolated beyond reasonable mention. It's a story that definitely had me clenching my fists and hoping turns out good in the end.
So yes, it's a good story. And you should watch it.