Make of the Ocean franchise what you want, but one thing is certain: stylistically, Steven Soderbergh set the bar for heist thrillers pretty high. Colorfully framed by the glamorous veneer of Las Vegas, the trilogy's exceeding slickness traded heavily on the an eclectic soundtrack, smooth direction, and undeniable star power. With The Bank Job, thriller veteran Roger Donaldson (Thirteen Days, No Way Out) clearly attempted to create a film with similar headlong forward momentum but stumbles over rote situations, wooden dialogue, and Jason Statham.
Actually, I'm just "taking the piss" about Jason Statham -- as Terry, this gang of robbers' Ocean, the Euro action hero and go-to-guy for tough Brits (The Transporter, Snatch) cuts a perfectly adequate figure. When Terry, a struggling London auto repair shop owner, is contacted by old flame Martine Love (Saffron Burrows) with an opportunity to get rich quick, he doesn't knows just what to do: neighborhood pals are assembled, a bank is staked out, blueprints are drawn up, and guys with lame nicknames are brought onboard because they know how to wield a welding torch.
Unlike Ocean's Eleven, (which was based on a Rat Pack trifle), The Bank Job is "based on a true story," and that story, set in 1971 is the film's strongest asset. Unknowingly, Terry's team is working for shadowy Whitehall characters eager to retrieve graphic photos of Princess Margaret during a naughty threesome which are used as leverage by a Caribbean pimp and drug smuggler who goes by Michael X (Peter De Jersey). The Bank Job's plot reaches satisfying levels of treachery and intrigue.
Over the years, we've seen thousands of tunnels dug and a million safe deposit boxes busted open, but the complications surrounding The Bank Job's actual break-in might have been interesting -- if they weren't handled in a breathless, superficial manner that suggests Donaldson never trusts the material itself to keep us engaged. It feels as if every moment in the entire movie is scored with that hi-hat-heavy heist music (think generic Mission Impossible theme), even if Terry is just having a conversation with his wife. There are no real characters but types who actually say things like "I will not be lectured by the porn king of Soho!" and "We were sitting ducks right from the start!"
The Bank Job opens March 7, 2008.
