Spring Break
'The Bank Job': a true story with true movie magic
Michelle Ofelt
Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: Diversions
Studying for finals got you down? There is a solution: take a study break and hit the theater! A particularly good movie is "The Bank Job," starring Jason Statham. It is an excellent British film that unfolds a complex true story of a 1971 England bank robbery. It plays with everything from comedy to corruption, two themes which are often welded together within the film. However, it is not all fun and games for the lighthearted crew, even though it begins that way.
The deeper in the robbers get with their scheme and the more people they involve, the quicker their world turns into a nightmare. The film has a great story with believable characters that capture reality a little better than you may be used to seeing. The robbers are not high-tech or skillful, the political figures' dirt is shown and situations go from simple to complicated in the blink of an eye.
"The Bank Job" begins with a group of old criminal friends trying to make their way up the ladder the honest way - that is, until one of their friends offers up a convenient plan to rob London's Baker Street Bank with little chance of getting caught. Right off the bat the plan seems sketchy and too good to be true, but the benefits outweigh the risks, so they decide to follow out her plan and rob the bank. You might be used to seeing savvy criminals get the upper hand, but this is far from what this crew is. They are pure amateurs who are klutzy and lucky, a perfect combination in this movie. Their little blunders give the film some necessary comedic relief.
Dramatic irony rushes in from every direction, giving the perfect amount of suspense. Many complicating factors contrive the plot, but they are not overdone or overwhelming - they force you to pay close attention. There are also outside stories that trickle in to one main story and make it more interesting. Everyone has something at stake and will do whatever it takes to make things work out for their own ends. The one bad point I must make is that there are a few overtly shocking scenes, which give the movie an R rating, so that is something to keep in mind.
Altogether, the emotions are real, the characters are real and the story is real. Overall, the film feels more realistic than the typical heist movie. It is easy to understand everyone's point of view, and although their motives conflict, you can easily understand why they act the way they do.
The true cinematic feat is how the movie switches from lighthearted comedy to horrifying situations, which it does quickly and without warning. One scene will show a team member's klutzy move or a simple stroke of luck, and then transition to a murder or torture scene. It is remarkable how the movie achieves this flow.
For the average college moviegoer this is a great choice. Give your overworked, overcaffeinated brain a breather and watch this movie. You won't regret it.
Michelle Ofelt
diversions@dailybarometer.com
The deeper in the robbers get with their scheme and the more people they involve, the quicker their world turns into a nightmare. The film has a great story with believable characters that capture reality a little better than you may be used to seeing. The robbers are not high-tech or skillful, the political figures' dirt is shown and situations go from simple to complicated in the blink of an eye.
"The Bank Job" begins with a group of old criminal friends trying to make their way up the ladder the honest way - that is, until one of their friends offers up a convenient plan to rob London's Baker Street Bank with little chance of getting caught. Right off the bat the plan seems sketchy and too good to be true, but the benefits outweigh the risks, so they decide to follow out her plan and rob the bank. You might be used to seeing savvy criminals get the upper hand, but this is far from what this crew is. They are pure amateurs who are klutzy and lucky, a perfect combination in this movie. Their little blunders give the film some necessary comedic relief.
Dramatic irony rushes in from every direction, giving the perfect amount of suspense. Many complicating factors contrive the plot, but they are not overdone or overwhelming - they force you to pay close attention. There are also outside stories that trickle in to one main story and make it more interesting. Everyone has something at stake and will do whatever it takes to make things work out for their own ends. The one bad point I must make is that there are a few overtly shocking scenes, which give the movie an R rating, so that is something to keep in mind.
Altogether, the emotions are real, the characters are real and the story is real. Overall, the film feels more realistic than the typical heist movie. It is easy to understand everyone's point of view, and although their motives conflict, you can easily understand why they act the way they do.
The true cinematic feat is how the movie switches from lighthearted comedy to horrifying situations, which it does quickly and without warning. One scene will show a team member's klutzy move or a simple stroke of luck, and then transition to a murder or torture scene. It is remarkable how the movie achieves this flow.
For the average college moviegoer this is a great choice. Give your overworked, overcaffeinated brain a breather and watch this movie. You won't regret it.
Michelle Ofelt
diversions@dailybarometer.com
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