The Bank Job (2008)

"Look, money may be your god but it ain't mine..."

- The Bank Job is very loosely based on the 1971 Baker Street robbery in London; "loosely based" because no one is really sure what happened. We know that a ham radio operator contacted police when he overheard what he thought was a robbery in progress via a walkie-talkie frequency on September 11, 1971. We also know that a bunch of robbers broke into a branch of Lloyds Bank and ran off with a ton of money and valuables on September 11, 1971. However, it is not certain that those robbers did it with an unknown-blessing from MI5 to get rid of some highly sensitive evidence of scandalous doing - but hey, it makes for a pretty cool heist flick anyway.

The Bank Job certainly is that: fun criminal characters, rampant government corruption, mobsters, a love triangle, wince-provoking violence - it's a good time at the movies. Jason Statham stars as thief ring-leader Terry Leather, a role with a bit more depth than the rest of Statham's past martial arts-steeped tough-guy typecast roles. Saffron Burrows and Daniel Mays give entertaining co-starring efforts as well.

Check it out when you are in the mood for a cool heist thriller.


CBC Rating: 7/10