The Bank Job (Roger Donaldson, 2008)

[Cockney_Geezer]

A British heist film is to be released to the cinemas quite soon. Based on a true story behind a robbery in London in 1971, one in which the robbers got away with some solid cash and compromising photos and managed not to get caught. There aren't that many films that show the British 70s, I saw Buster recently but that's a bit more 80s... Anyway, they managed to get the feeling right, here's a clip from the film.
The cast includes Jason Statham, and I think he was quite a good choice. I really enjoyed his acting in Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels.
Hopefully, this film will turn out good. I read some first reviews on IMDB and they were promising.

[Zazou dans le Metro]

There aren't that many films that show the British 70s

Have you been in a coma too?

I know it's not a film BUT ...Life on Mars?

Without it would this episode for the Bill on the big screen have got a chance??

[Cold Bishop]

Film looks lousy, but I do like the poster.

[Antoine Doinel]

I have a soft spot for Jason Statham. Yeah, he plays essentially the same character in every film but for light entertainment you can do far worse.

[Cockney_Geezer]

well, the film is out now. Did anyone see it yet? I will go to the cinema soon, would like to hear some impressions first though.

[Cockney_Geezer]

back to the topic. saw the film just recently, came out well satisfied from the cinema. Basically what was really cool was that this was all a true story, I was focusing on that throughout the film =)

Fast paced, and a good performance from Statham. I would say Donaldson can count this one as a success

As it got out in the States now, did anyone manage to see it?

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Two articles that give some fascinating insight into the actual events that the film is based on: The Guardian and The Telegraph.

[filmnoir1]

I managed to find time to see this yesterday afternoon and it does not disappoint. Donaldson taps into the look and feel of other heist films such as Kubrick's The Killing, or The asphalt Jungle as well as the tradition of British gangster films like Mona Lisa, Good Friday and countless others. The look of the film drains out color, relying on muted tones in the lighting and the grey look of London despite the dead-on look of the garish seventies fashions.

The first half of the film moves at a rate that is more in common with the adult films of the 1970s and then the bank itself is hit. These sequences are frenetically edited at times, to further enhance the sense of excitement and to make the viewer cheer for the robbery.

One interesting thing about the film is the use of a luggage store as a front for the digging into the bank. I am not sure if this is historically accurate or if the screenwriters and director are paying an homage to the Warner Brothers slapstick heist film Larceny Inc. (1942) which starred Edward G. Robinson.

Finally, there are several disconcerting issues which i believe may be endemic of the world we live in today. That is torture as a narrative device. More and more it seems as if films are selling the idea that torture is normal, useful, and more prevalently used then the big "Other" would allows us to believe.

Overall, though this is easily one of the better films released in 2008 so far.

[Antoine Doinel]

Saw this tonight and thought it was a solid little heist flick. Nothing groundbreaking, but a workmanlike entry in the genre. The plot twists toward the end are not nearly as clever as they want to be, but it still comes to a satisfying conclusion. The cast is exceptional across the board, and Donaldson nicely keeps the pace casual.

[Antoine Doinel]

The forthcoming DVD cover ditches the theatrical one sheet and basically remarkets the film as Transporter 3.

[flyonthewall2983]

You know, we bitch and bitch about the DVD covers. But how much time does one actually look at them? I've spent more time staring at the spines of my DVD's then I have watched some of the movies. No love for the spines?