Apr

13

I assume many of you know about the commendably and excruciatingly watchable "Bank Job".It is involving from the jump (in the early 1980s, UK) to dénouement.

Terry (two-day beard tough guy Jason Statham), a car-repair minor player in constant hock and debt to bigger petty criminals in London, gets offered the chance of a ‘quick-take’ bank robbery that dangles the possibility of living the better life, courtesy the temptress, ripe ex-lover Martine Love, though Terry has the presence of mind to distrust her contacts and motivation, as they say in acting class. There is far more to the plot than a simple burrow into an unremarkable safe-deposit vault and hauling off the consequent goodies.

His motley band of inexperienced mates don’t reckon on the higher-ups who are remotely assisting them in the expectation that they’ll secure some extremely compromising photos that had better not come to light. The ever- oleaginous and fecund David Suchet adds another sweaty ruby to his host of memorable skeaves with attitude. SAffron Burrows is suitably stunning as the silky ex-model babe in the stylized coveralls. Director Donaldson keeps the action taut, the conversation deftly scoundrel-red, and the upstairs/downstairs worrying at a strung-out high-wire tension.

The acting is first-rate, the story unbelievable, but made all the more enjoyable when you realize it is a true story. More to it than just a highly unlikely heist, but exquisite women, moments of humor, high dudgeon, cops-‘n’-robbers, a tinge of scandal, Parliamentary misbehaving–all the ingredients for a great stew of an entertainment.

Few special effects, gritty cinematography, manly men and womanly women. Even my CCC (cautiously critical companion) remarked what a refreshingly bracing experience it was. The best movie-movie I’ve seen in a batch. People with a long memory will be able to hazily recall the actual story and high-class to-do from thee decades ago. Bumper suspense, lots of back-story, changes of venue, exotic politics, going back to naughty times that bring you right up to our former gubernatorial cash-and-carry Spitzer hi-jinks.


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