The Bank Job released in theaters March 7, 2008 has proven to be one of the best movies I've seen all year. Based on a true story, about a bank heist in early 70's London, and brought to life by longtime screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian Frenais, whose resume includes “Across the Universe,” Flushed Away” and countless years of U.K. Television, have done it again by bringing this movie to light.
Jason Statham stars as Terry, an auto dealer with a wife and two daughter's who gets involved with an old friend, Martine played by Saffron Burrows, who peaks his interest by bringing him into the scheme of a lifetime. Terry sees it as a way to get his creditors off his back and a way to give his family the best he can offer and later pulls in a few of his friends, Kevin (Stephen Campbell Moore) and Dave (Daniel Mays) and a couple of ringers, the “Major” (James Faulkner) and Bambas (Alki David) to help him pull it off.
The team of amateur crooks, then plot to knock over a Lloyds Bank branch on Baker Street by tunneling through a nearby store, eventually leading to the banks vaults, where within its folds they uncover not only money and jewelry, but get embroiled in a plot that involves a Black Power leader from Trinidad, played by (Peter de Jersey), an M15 agent and his superiors, corrupt police, a porn king scandal which also involved members of Parliament, and naughty pictures of a member of the royal family.
It was surprising to me how many plots and twists were portrayed in this movie, and reminded me of how much I truly loved history as a kid, only stories like these were never spoken off. Although this movie dawdled at times it still kept me interested and towards the end before the credits found out many interesting events that followed the heist, like:
Soon after the robbery Scotland Yard underwent a major purge of corrupt police officers. A number of senior members of the government resigned following revelations about the activities at Sonia Bern's Brothel. The Black Panther leader Michael X was hanged in Trinidad in 1975 for the death of Gale Benson, who was undercover and trying to get evidence on him, and later caught and executed. His file in the British Archive remains classified until the 1st of January 2054, and Porn King Vogel was jailed for eight years for crimes unrelated to the robbery.
Being a Jason Statham fan I am glad he finally was able to work on something with true meaning, and honestly hope his role as Terry brings him an Oscar as he truly deserves it. The rest of the cast was excellent as well, and thumbs up to Australian Director Roger Donaldson for bringing together such fine characters and a great plot to satisfy this movie goer. If you haven't seen it yet please do for it is worth it, and I, myself can't wait to get my hands on the DVD.
