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List Price: $22.98 | | Label: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Salesrank: 56005
Released: July 15, 2008 |
| Our Price: $5.24 |
| Used Price: $2.74 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 15-JUL-2008
Media Type: DVD
Description of The Bank Job (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy):
A cheerful, energetic, and completely entertaining movie, The Bank Job follows some small-time hoods who think they've lucked into a big-time opportunity when they learn a bank's security system will be temporarily suspended--little suspecting that they're being manipulated by government agents for their own ends. The result is that the movie doubles its pleasures: While the robbery itself has the usual suspense of a heist film, when the robbery is over the hoods find themselves being hunted by the police, the government, and brutal criminal kingpins who were storing dangerous information in a safety deposit box. The Bank Job won't win any awards, but it's enormously fun. Director Roger Donaldson (No Way Out, Species) propels the action along with vigor, editing zippily with perfect clarity among multiple storylines and various colorful characters. Jason Statham (Snatch, The Transporter), as the leader of the bank robbers, successfully steps away from his usual bone-crunching roles to a more human presence. The rest of the cast--including Saffron Burrows (Deep Blue Sea), Keeley Hawes (Tipping the Velvet), David Suchet (Poirot), and many faces familiar from British film and television--give their characters the right degree of personality and flavor without getting fussy or detracting from the headlong rush of the story. A little sex, a lot of action, a sly sense of humor, and a twisty plot; if more movies had these basic pleasures, the world would be a happier place. --Bret Fetzer
Stills from Bank Job (click for larger image)
The Bank Job (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy) Reviews:
what do you say we have a go at robbing a bank? 
2009-12-21 - Nicely capturing the look, fashion, and atmosphere of a classic 70's British caper, Roger Donaldson's Bank Job (2008) is supposedly based on an actual bank robbery that took place in London in 1971. The film features a group of working class mates, who looking for a big score, band together on something of a lark, to have a go at robbing a bank. But things are not what they seem, and with a bit of bad luck, things escalate to total chaos. More than just a straight caper adventure, the complicated and seemingly unlikely tale, also includes political intrigue at high levels of the British government.
Former model Martine Love (Saffron Burrows), is setup for a drug bust while returning from holiday, and contacts Tim Everett (Richard Lintern) for help. Everett, a government official involves her in an elaborate scheme to find someone to rob a bank, in order to recover compromising photos of British royalty taken in Jamaica by one Michael X (Peter De Jersey), and locked in a safety deposit box.
Martine runs the idea by Terry Leather (Jason Statham), an old friend who currently runs a used car dealership, and is having financial troubles. Rounding up mates Dave Schilling (Daniel Mays) and Kevin Swain (Stephen Campbell Moore), tunneling specialist Bambas (Alki David) and front man Guy Singer (James Faulkner) the group begins planning the robbery of Lloyds Bank, located in the heart of London. Securing the lease on an nearby shop, the group begin tunneling towards the vault, with a lookout on the roof of a nearby building in radio contact in case of trouble. Even while still inside looting the vault, the police are already looking for them, having been tipped by a radio operator who has overheard their communications.
All hell breaks loose soon after the gang escapes with over four million pounds in loot, and incriminating photos of royalty and Whitehall officials. Also missing are the records of an organized crime leader (David Suchet), who is willing to do some very harsh things to get them back.
Although based on a real events, to what extent is unclear, as exactly what was stolen from the vault was never determined. Why the British government, with so much at stake, would back such a dodgy venture is a complete mystery. It seems totally insane, but apparently it happened. How could the government expect that the thieves would not look at the photos? Where are the negatives? As copying records is simple, the odds of matters ending without complications was highly doubtful. Was there really a burial vault below the building? If so it was one fortuitous coincidence. Many questions remain unanswered, and the film does not have a comfortable sense of closure.
Bank Job is not as gritty and violent as some crime films from the period, but it has a retro vibe, and tells its tale without a lot of gadgets, stunts, special effects, fights or chases. With solid acting all the way around, staying closer to reality is kind of a refreshing approach. Some may be disappointed this isn't a balls out action extravaganza like Death Race, but Bank Job is more a nod to the past.
solidly crafted crime drama 
2009-11-03 - Terry Leather is a shady car dealer in East London who finds himself in hock to a local gangster who`s putting the screws on everyone who owes him money. Desperate for some quick cash, Terry allows a former friend and model to trick him into helping pull off a major bank heist, unaware that he and his buddies are actually being used by the British authorities to steal some scandalous photos that, if published, could seriously embarrass the royal family. The potential blackmailer is a black radical who models himself on Malcolm X and who thinks he holds the upper hand with the authorities as long as he is in possession of the pictures, which he has put in a safety deposit box in Lloyds Bank. Terry and his crew, unaware of the back story and convinced there is a fortune to be had for the taking, fall right into the authorities' trap, bearing all the risk should the scheme somehow fail, yet sharing in few of the rewards should it come off as planned.
Based on an actual event that took place in 1971, "The Bank Job" is a solid, old-fashioned heist drama directed by Roger Donaldson with a super-abundance of suspense, energy and style. There are twists and double crosses aplenty in the screenplay by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, which uses the bank robbery as a mere jumping-off point for a scathing survey of the London crime scene, ranging from the lowest levels of two-bit thievery to the upper reaches of police and governmental corruption. There's also just enough uniqueness in the setup to keep us from feeling we know where the story is heading while it`s still playing itself out. Despite a rather large cast of characters, we're usually able to keep most of the people straight during the course of the drama, though there are a few moments in the back half of the film where a little more clarity might have been helpful.
In a bit of a change-of-pace for himself as an actor, Jason Statham gets to shed his "Transporter" action-hero image in favor of a more recognizable working-class stiff and family man who happens to have a serious penchant for running afoul of the law. Also compelling is Saffron Burrows - a dead-ringer for a young Charlotte Rampling - who stars as the seductive go-between who lures Terry and his men into a plan that may well lead to their undoing.
The Great Bank Robbery of 1971 had the dual effect of not only turning villains into heroes but of helping to purge much of the corruption and rot lurking in the top echelons of British society. It's a fascinating piece of twentieth century history brought to vivid and memorable life in a gripping and stylish film.
I loved it 
2009-09-12 - This Statham movie had a great story line and great ending. The little guy can win!
Can I bend you to my will, Mr. Brown?
2009-07-13 - A fantastic look into the underbelly of 1970s London, loosely based on the story of Michael X and the Baker Street bank robbery. With all the makings of high drama, we have a group of thugs quasi-anonymously hired to break into a bank vault to steal the contents of a specific box, thought to hold pictures of a royal family member in questionable circumstances, with the freedom to steal whatever else they like along the way. Straightforward enough. The robbery isn't the real focus though, and they succeed. What is critical is what happens after, when another covert government group becomes involved with further incriminating evidence found in the vault and many of the deposit box holders don't want to reveal the contents of their boxes. Though the plot does deviate from the story, proper, it's fiendishly well done and viewers end up agonizing over who to pull for. Definitely worth watching and not at all a family film.
"There can be no connection to 5 or 6."
2009-06-27 - And that's where it gets interesting.
The Baker Street Gang hatches a plot to steal certain photographs of one of the Royal Princess' from a local bank being hoarded by drug kingpin and blackmailer. A crew of opportunist wannabe's is assembled, a crude plan is formed, then bang....off go the jackhammers. First half of the movie drags, and is very short on professionalism. Both the cops and robbers are exposed as pretty much being out of their element. Jason Statham doesn't do much to add to the excitement here and the rest of the cast is boringly British.
Second half of the movie will wake you up however, assuming you haven't lapsed into a coma by now. The intrigue builds as MI5/6 discovers there are more compromising photos belonging to one of the local Madames to procure. When the gang realizes the degree of trouble they're in, enter a local gangster who also had a set of books on safe deposit and Statham's crew is now between your proverbial rock and a hard place.
Its the second half of the film that makes it worth suffering through the first, the ending is right out of a (good) Guy Ritchie flick. Very well done. I just wish somebody would give Statham some acting lessons, he basically plays the same character here you have seen a dozen times in the last few years. 3 chips
