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Everyone loves a solid crime thriller, and The Bank Job, directed by Roger Donaldson, is as solid as they come. The plot follows Jason Statham’s Terry as his crew is set up by Martine Love (Saffron Burrows) to rob a safe deposit vault within a bank. Unbeknownst to Terry, their true purpose is a government plot to steal photos of a royal sex scandal from a ruthless gangster, Michael X (Peter de Jersey). While the robbery is based on true events, The Bank Job embellishes the truth, adding in government involvement and exploring conspiracy theories surrounding motivations for the robbery. Gangsters and corrupt politicians in the film have possible real-world equivalents, but the vagueness of the overall narrative assists in heightening the tension.
The Bank Job was released at a time when heist films were having a resurgence, even if it is one of the oldest genres in Hollywood, going back to The Great Train Robbery in 1903. Ocean's Eleven in 2001 and its sequels helped to reinvigorate the genre with charm and wit akin to a James Bond-style espionage. However, films like Spike Lee's 2006 film, Inside Man, drew the focus back to gritty realism within heist jobs, as well as focusing on the themes of corruption and government power in a post-9/11 world. Following in this vein, Donaldson's The Bank Job is so much more than a traditional heist narrative. Its refreshing structural beats keep this film unique and examine the aftermath of a robbery, rather than only focusing on the crime itself. Finally, Statham's honest portrayal of humanity is what makes Statham's performance so gripping and summarizes best what is missing from the actor's current performances.
'The Bank Job' Mixes Fact and Fiction To Create a Gripping Story
Image via Lionsgate
The Bank Job seemingly pulls inspiration from a real-life bank robbery in 1971, in which criminals tunneled under a chicken shop and into a bank vault to steal safe deposit boxes, dubbed The Baker Street Bank Burglary. The characters of Michael X, Gale Benson (Hattie Morahan), and Hakim Jamal (Colin Salmon) are all reminiscent of living people involved in this real-life scheme. The motivation for the film's bank heist, photos of a royal scandal involving Princess Margaret, and MI5's involvement in stealing those photos back still remains merely speculative.
Similarly, inclusions of politician sex scandals and London gangsters do have real-world similarities that could be additional inspiration for the film's characters. Lord Drysdale (Rupert Frazer) could be seen as a nod to Anthony Lambton, a Conservative MP who resigned in 1973 due to a sex scandal involving photos taken of Lambton with prostitutes, which is similar to the looming scandal which Lord Drysdale nearly finds himself in. Lew Vogel is a fascinating character as there are two potential real-world inspirations The Bank Job could be pulling from for him. There is Bernie Silver, a gangster in the 60s and 70s who owned many strip clubs in Soho and was known for paying off cops. However, at one point, Michael X calls Lew Vogel the "porn king of Soho." This could refer to Paul Raymond, who was also famous for his ownership of strip clubs and the production of pornography in Soho during the same time period, dubbing himself the "King of Soho."
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Though it has never been proven if these real people and instances are what The Bank Job is alluding to, these embellishments of reality help elevate the thriller to be more than just a generic heist film. However, by linking some of the film's events to real life, like the heist and Michael X's real criminal activity that he was later convicted of, there's tension surrounding the events that didn't happen, such as when Statham's Terry has to chase after Lew Vogel (David Suchet) to save his friend Eddie (Michael Jibson). It creates a far deeper and unique narrative that keeps an audience guessing, compared to what could have been a simple rendition of the "good vs. bad" trope.
Britain's Corrupt Underbelly Is Explored Thoroughly in 'The Bank Job'
Perhaps The Bank Job's greatest strength is how it explores the seedy underbelly of British High society, where the rule of law is twisted to suit the most powerful. People like Terry, who are committing the archetypal crimes, are given the hero's ending. Having this juxtaposed with the sex-crazed, hypocritical, bent politicians provides fascinating commentary. In an interview with Bricksite, actor David Suchet spoke about the irony, stating: "funnily enough, the most innocent of the guilty are the robbers."
This is a fascinating exploration of whom the true criminals of society are, and how we can be blind to the true evils behind the hustle and bustle of civilized society. At the end of The Bank Job, however, order is restored in a way by the exposure of Lew Vogel's ledger that details who the corrupt police officers are in London. However, the fact that MI5 simply slipped back into the shadows without consequences notes exactly how that kind of power remains in our society to this day, especially when we consider the post-9/11 and contemporary war on terror context The Bank Job was released in.
Director Roger Donaldson Provides a Refreshing Spin on the Heist Thriller
The Bank Job doesn't follow the predictable or typical heist film narrative beats. Rather, it does a great job of toying with the typical narrative structure of a crime thriller to craft a quicker and more unique pacing. The discovery of a secret crypt below the bank gives not only a literal shortcut for Terry’s crew, but a narrative shortcut so that the assumed climax — getting into the vault — becomes the mid-point. This way, audiences are made to examine the consequences of the heist. By doing this, The Bank Job throws the audience into true twisted darkness.
In a traditional crime thriller, the movie often ends when the crew gets to their hideout, having successfully evaded the police for the last time. However, in this case, after examining the consequences of what has been stolen, Terry and Martine go out of their way to make contact with MI5's Tim Everrett (Richard Lintern). Now that the opposite of what is expected has occurred, audiences may truly not know what could happen to our protagonists, heightening the tension of every post-robbery scene.
'The Bank Job' Demonstrates What Jason Statham's Career Is Currently Missing
What makes Statham's portrayal of Terry so engaging is how human it is, as he is vulnerable both physically and emotionally. Terry not only makes mistakes, but is limited in his power to affect the conspiracy unfolding around him. Until the mid-point, Terry doesn't even know the real purpose of the heist, and we are fully aware of this, and when he does learn the truth, he feels helpless. Even the ending only turns out positive for him because the British government stops his arrest, but only because it would reveal their own secrets.
Of course, Statham's Terry uses his wits to put himself in that position, but this kind of overcoming challenges is exactly what we are missing from Statham's current filmography. His early career had him in films such as Snatch, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, and The Italian Job, among other works where he was portrayed as the average person, whereas in his recent outings in The Beekeeper, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, and Expend4bles, he is closer to a superhero than a human. Not only does this take away a lot of tension in those films themselves, but it distracts us from appreciating how good of an actor Statham truly is.
Overall, The Bank Job is so much more than just a heist movie. It's a fascinating tale that weaves in and out of fact and fiction to add tension and depth to the characters and their struggles. Not only is the subject a unique spin on crime thrillers, but the way the story is paced and structured keeps the audience in the dark until the end, while ramping up excitement and tension. The film is also a stark reminder of the direction Statham's career has ventured in (in this author's opinion, for worse), in recent years. Finally, the exploration of Britain's underbelly reminds us of the dangers of government interference and tells us all to be vigilant about whom the true criminals of society can be.
The Bank Job is available to watch on Peacock in the U.S.
Release Date March 7, 2008
Director Roger Donaldson
Runtime 112 Minutes
Writers Dick Clement , Ian La Frenais
Budget $20 Million
Studio(s) Mosaic Media Group , Relativity Media LLC
English (US) ·