Rated R

Directed by Roger Donaldson 

Starring Jason Stratham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays, James Faulkner

Heidi’s Illustrious Review: 4

Word of Warning to you softies out there: some violence and several sexually explicit scenes from a 1970’s brothel (now you are really interested).

The Bank Job is a refreshing bank robbery movie based on the true and infamous story of the 1971 Baker Street bank heist in London, England. Starring Jason Stratham (The Transporter) and a bunch of goofy looking British actors and the impossible beautiful British actress Saffron Burrows, this is truly an entertaining film. The Bank Job is the type of movie I will watch again and again when it comes cable television. 

Stratham may not be known for his Oscar-quality performances, but he is perfectly cast in the role of Terry, a family man, car dealer and small-time crook. This time he gets caught up in the heist of a lifetime. A friend from the old neighborhood, Martine (Saffron Burrows), lures Terry and his band of buddies into robbing the vault at a bank on Baker Street.

Based in the early 70’s the movie noticeably lacks many of the special effects and gadgetry we’ve come to expect in modern day heist movies. While there are a bevy of classic cars for the audience to drool over, there are no cell phones, no computers, no laser protected bank vaults and no fancy breaking-into-bank equipment. In fact, the ”gang” is outfitted with walkie-talkies, drilling gear and cigarettes.

The costuming in The Bank Job is pure vintage. Many of the costumes were recognizable as articles of clothing I’ve seen hanging in the back of my mother’s closet. I also noticed many of the styles are back on the streets, though small alterations have been made. The vintage clothes and vintage cars make this movie worth at least a matinee price. 

The British government is at the heart of this story, more specifically, their attempts to keep sexual explicit photos of Princess Margaret out of the public eye and mind. A notorious black power leader, who calls himself Michael X, is keeping the photos in a Baker Street bank vault. The photos represent his security, which means he is blackmailing the government with the photos in order to get away with any illegal activity he desires to conduct. The government wants to recover the photos so Michael X cannot use them as collateral and so they can be sure the photos never see the light of day, a royal embarrassment they will do anything to avoid.

The directing, acting, cinematography and soundtrack come together to create a groovy ambiance and a highly enjoyable movie. It’s not a movie I will dwell on or feel the need to discuss. In fact, I’ll probably quickly forget it. However, I give The Bank Job a rating of 4 because it is worth the money, especially if you enjoy a good heist movie.