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I’ve seen enough Jason Statham movies that I think I know what to expect when I walk into the theater to see another one. I expect a gritty thriller that’s light on plot but heavy on adrenaline. I expect sex, drugs, and high-speed chases. And I expect to leave the theater feeling just a little bit exhausted. But I don’t expect to do much thinking—nor do I expect a heist film like The Bank Job.
In his latest thriller, Statham stars at Terry Leather, a London used car dealer and small-time crook who finds himself faced with the opportunity of a lifetime. One afternoon, Martine Love (Saffron Burrows), a beautiful ex-model from Terry’s old neighborhood, shows up at the shop with a foolproof plan to rob a bank on Baker Street. For Terry, the heist means freedom—and the opportunity to give his wife and daughters the comfortable lives they deserve—and he just can’t pass that up.
What Terry doesn’t realize, though, is that the job is more than just a bank robbery. And as he and his friends plan the heist, they’re under close surveillance by the government agency that planned the whole thing.
The Bank Job isn’t really the typical Jason Statham movie—and it’s not the typical heist movie, either. It still has the same London grit, but, unlike Statham’s usual fast-paced thrillers (like Crank, for instance), The Bank Job is slower and more deliberate—and much more detailed. Instead of hitting the ground running, it builds slowly, taking the time to set the stage, allowing the audience to get to know the characters while the story begins to take shape. That means that it will probably take you a while to get into the story—but once it finally grabs you, it won’t let go.
Terry and his mates are nothing like Danny Ocean and the boys. These aren’t smooth criminals; they’re small-time crooks and con men who have no idea how to pull off a big-time heist. And that makes the story suspenseful—because you never know how (or if) they’ll be able to pull it off. The suspense doesn’t come from high-speed car chases or gun fights. It comes from knowing that Terry and the guys could be caught at any moment by any number of unpleasant characters. And even though the story sometimes moves a bit slowly, it has all kinds of twists and turns that are sure to keep you holding your breath.
The Bank Job is a dark and gritty heist film that’s packed with small-time crooks, crooked cops, crime bosses, porn kings, and every kind of unsavory character in between—and the fact that it’s based on a true story makes it all the more intriguing. It’s not what you might expect from a Jason Statham movie; it’s unhurried, but it’s still intense—and it’ll definitely keep you guessing.
