The Bank Job (2008)

TheBank Job is a UK film released in 2008 and directed by Roger Donaldson. It stars Richard Lintern, David Suchet, Stephen Campbell Moore, and Saffron Burrows, with the main protagonist superbly portrayed by Jason Statham.

Roger Donaldson is an Australian-New Zealand director already known for his UK based films such as The Bounty (Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson) and Smash Palace (Bruno Lawrence). His share of Hollywood notables include The Recruit (Colin Farrell), Dante’s Peak (Pierce Brosnan), and Cocktail (Tom Cruise).

Thus, with this caliber of directorship, it’s no surprise that Bank Job would turn out to be a terrific run-for-your-money bank heist and political conspiracy movie with enough action to keep you at the edge of your desktop. The movie is actually a speculative account of a bank robbery at a Lloyd’s Bank branch on London’s Baker Street back in 1971. Amazingly, not a single bank robber was ever brought to justice, in spite of much overwhelming evidence.

The actual bank heist and the background behind it would seem like something out of a Sherlock Holmes mystery combined with America’s Watergate. However, unlike Watergate, the British government took all pains to squash everything to silence instead of going for justice.

Jason Statham and his men have been conned by an underworld-connected model (Saffron Burrows) – herself being conned by British secret service – to commit an underground tunneling bank heist. The objective is a safety-deposit box containing revealing pictures of a British princess having sex with a pair of black studs in the Caribbean. The pictures are being kept by a notorious black underworld figure for eventual blackmail purposes.

Unfortunately, the successful bank heist turns out more trouble than just the photos, money, and jewelry. Burrows and Statham discover that they also have in their possession an account book owned by a London vice criminal (David Suchet) containing records of bribes to police and politicians. Also in the mix are compromising pictures of civil servants and politicians owned by a known brothel owner.

Thus, the somewhat hapless crooks find themselves pursued – not by the police – but by MI5, British secret service, criminal gangsters, and other hired bogeys, including members of the Royal Family.  From here, the film races with the speed of a rush hour train, with the action sometimes lolling between exciting and bloody. Would you expect any less from a Jason Statham film?

 The Bank Job is a must-see film for enthusiasts of classic movies and action films.