The Bank Job (2008)

Note des utilisateurs:

7.5/10   

Réalisateur:

Roger Donaldson

Writers (WGA):

Dick Clement (written by) &
Ian La Frenais (written by)

Release Date:

7 mars 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drame | Thriller

Accroche:

The true story of a heist gone wrong... in all the right ways.

Plot:

Martine offers Terry a lead on a foolproof bank hit on London's Baker Street. She targets a roomful of safe deposit boxes worth millions in cash and jewelry. But Terry and his crew don't realize the boxes also contain a treasure trove of dirty secrets - secrets that will thrust them into a deadly web of corruption and illicit scandal.

Plot Keywords:

Bank | Safe Deposit | Pornographer | Murder | Police Corruption

Awards:

1 nomination

Avis des utilisateurs:

Above Average Caper Flick

Ensemble

Jason Statham	...	Terry Leather
Saffron Burrows	...	Martine Love
Stephen Campbell Moore	...	Kevin Swain
Daniel Mays	...	Dave Shilling
James Faulkner	...	Guy Singer
Alki David	...	Bambas
Michael Jibson	...	Eddie Burton
Georgia Taylor	...	Ingrid Burton
Richard Lintern	...	Tim Everett
Peter Bowles	...	Miles Urquart
Alistair Petrie	...	Philip Lisle
Hattie Morahan	...	Gale Benson
Julian Lewis Jones	...	Snow
Andrew Brooke	...	Quinn
Rupert Frazer	...	Lord Drysdale

Autre(s) titre(s):

Baker Street (UK) (working title)
D-Notice (UK) (working title)
The Bank Job (USA) (working title)
Braquage à l'anglaise (France) [fr]

Durée:

111 min

Pays:

UK

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Couleur

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Son:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Classification:

Ireland:15A | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #43693) | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Finland:K-15 | Norway:15 | Malaysia:18PL (cut) | Singapore:R21 | Germany:12 | Brazil:16 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Australia:MA | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Japan:PG-12 | Denmark:11 | Austria:16 | South Africa:16LV | Singapore:M18 (edited version) | Iceland:16

Emplacements De Pelliculage:

Aldwych Underground Station, Aldwych, Holborn, London, England, UK

Company:

Mosaic Media Group

Anecdotes:

Aldwych station was chosen to film the underground scenes because the true Tottenham Court Road station had been modified extensively in the early 1980s. Only Edgware Road still has any resemblance to its original look.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The white police car (Jaguar) has orange stripes down the side. These were not introduced until the late 1970s.

Guillemet:

[first lines]
Eddie Burton: [while drilling a mileage meter back] Another Terry Leather low mileage here.

Movie Connections:

References "Pinky and Perky" (1957)

Soundtrack:

Money (That's What I Want)

Above Average Caper Flick

As caper flicks go, all I really hope for is something that succeeds in being both novel and entertaining. My hopes were satisfied by The Bank Job. The plot itself is based very loosely on events that occurred in the 1970s in London. The royal family has some dark secrets. An outspoken activist/petty criminal/drug importer has evidence of these secrets, which he uses as leverage against the government who desperately wants to prosecute him. This evidence is stored in a safety deposit box within a London bank. British Intelligence conjures up a rather reckless plan of employing a bunch of two-bit/amateur criminals to break into the vault, and take the evidence along with whatever else they can carry out. Apart from one intermediary, none of the robbers know the government's secret agenda. Of course, things get complicated whenever the possibility that a bunch of dirty secrets are in the wrong hands, and eventually the movie juggles several interconnecting plot lines, all related to the contents of the vault and their implication on various interests from the royal family, to corrupt police, to the sexual indiscretions of parliament members.

The movie keeps a good pace and never takes itself too seriously. It builds up the plot lines and tries somewhat successfully to tie everything together. There is some good tension, a bit of violence (not much), and eventually, vindication for most of the parties.

The problems with the movie are numerous, but nothing that ultimately destroys the fun. Yes the movie is rife with inexplicably, unnecessary side characters (see female undercover agent in the Caribbean). Yes the movie's dialogue veers into indecipherable 1970s British slang, which gives a comedic undertone to conversations that are intended to be serious. Yes there exist rampant plot issues that make you wonder how stupid cops really are. And yes the acting is OK, at best, lets face it Jason Stracham is meant for British caper movies the way Keanu Reeves is meant to play a clueless surfer cop in Point Break - so while he's not winning any Academies, he fits these rolls just fine.

You could wait for the DVD, or if you are looking for a fun way to kill 2 hours, you should go to the theater for this one.