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RATING:  
SINGAPORE : Royal scandals, bent cops, corrupted government officials, and above all, a well-executed bank robbery with an oxymoron: innocent robbers. Sounds like the British tabloid’s had a field day back in 1971.
Based loosely on the famed "Walkie Talkie bank job" of 1971, "The Bank Job" boasts a brilliant rendition of the notorious raid in Baker Street, London, from which more than four million pounds of money and valuables stolen were never recovered.
The movie starts with a confusing crossfire of different scenes, from naughty royals in compromising acts to grand tea parties to extortion acts in a car garage.
But as the movie develops, the chips fall neatly into place to put a whole new spin on a robbery gone horribly wrong – that is, if you can still remember what happens in the beginning.
Terry Leathers (Jason Statham) is a family guy who runs a struggling car workshop, and is knee-deep in debt. So when ex-girlfriend Martine (Saffron Burrows) masterminds a seemingly clever, foolproof plan to hit a bank, Terry rounds up his crew of shady friends for the underground job.
By digging a tunnel beneath the vault, the gang hit jackpot and made off with over four million pounds of money and goods. But behind the mastermind's gorgeous model looks and chic exterior lies a hidden, darker agenda – she is to recover a stash of dirty little secrets in forms of photographs and documents.
The contents of the Pandora’s box stir up quite the hornets nest, with the British secret service, the government in all its conspiratorial glory and shady deals, and even members of the underworld hot on their trails.
The thugs, who ironically are the least guilty of all involved, are plunged into an aftermath of cat-and-mouse games across London.
It is a simple robbery made complicated by the external factors and the real suspense and excitement comes after the robbery.
Unlike a typical Hollywood cop-and-robber movie, there are no adrenaline-pumped car chases, action-packed shoot-outs or heart-thumping big bang explosions. But the plot alone is guaranteed to keep you at the edge of your seat.
The cast also delivers, with Jason Statham stealing the show as the charmingly flawed gang leader and Saffron Burrows as the composed double-faced agent with an internal struggle.
The only downside to the show is that it demands your undivided attention from the start – blink, and you may just miss the whodunit. The tortuously confusing story is simply not ideal for countless occasions such as brain-dead after office hours or a lazy Sunday morning.
While the movie certainly doesn’t have the wittiest of lines like that of the Ocean’s Trilogy, a healthy dose of British humour here and there adds a delightful flair to the film.
“The Bank Job” definitely delivers all the goods and is worth a shot, but if you know you are slow at catching on, getting it on DVD will be a better choice instead.
*The movie is rated R21 for scenes of nudity.
- CNA/yb
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