The Bank Job

I haven’t written anything here about movies lately, although we’ve continued to watch one every now and then. Mostly I’ve just lacked the time and the inspiration to post about them. I did like both 21 and WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS, though, the first being a pretty good caper movie, the second an okay romantic comedy aided by the fact that I just can’t help but like both Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher.

However, last night we watched THE BANK JOB (speaking of caper movies), and I thought it was excellent. I’ve mentioned here before that I like Jason Statham, and he’s good as always as the leader of a gang of would-be bank robbers who are in really, really far over their heads without even knowing it. This is the sort of movie that mixes a number of intermingled plotlines. You’ve got amateur crooks, professional crooks, good spies, bad spies, good cops, corrupt cops, and they’ve all got an interest in what’s in the safe deposit boxes in a branch of Lloyds Bank in London. As I was watching the movie, I asked myself how the filmmakers were going to tie everything together and have it make sense, but by golly, they do. The ending is pretty satisfying, in fact.

THE BANK JOB is supposedly based on a true story, but I have no idea how closely it sticks to the facts. I’ve read several articles recently about how far most movies “based on a true story” actually stray from the truth (in THE EXPRESS, one of those inspirational sports movies that’s opening this weekend, it’s very far indeed, according to what I’ve read), but I don’t mind that too much as long as I’m entertained. THE BANK JOB entertained me, so I don’t hesitate to recommend it.