The Bank Job (2008)

Small time hood Terry (Jason Statham) signs on for a robbery with once-time girlfriend Martine (Saffron Burrows). Gathering up a few extra mates, the amateurs plan the bank robbery of a lifetime. Tunnelling under a local shop, the band of thieves hit the bank's vault and unload over three million pounds of cash, jewelery, bonds, and other assorted goods pulled from hundreds of safe deposit boxes. Among those goods... damaging photographs of government and royal officials and a porn king's payroll ledger. Can the amateurs out-smart the professionals and live to tell about it?

The Bank Job is an above average heist flick based, get this, on a true story. London, Circa 1971. According to the featurette, this was one of, if not the, largest successful robberies in all of England. What is more interesting is the D-Notice accusation. The media killed this story. The files on this event were just recently declassified. Some still aren't scheduled to declassify until 2054.

Delightfully British, The Bank Job takes a step back in time to create a world of shady villains, corrupt coppers, and MI5 or is it 6 agents? "I can never tell which is which. They all use the same tailor." The film is a slow burn complete with cheeky dialogue that engages and pays off successfully.

Led by Jason Statham, the British cast is right on the money. Statham is believable as a two-bit sod just trying to make ends meet and still be able to by a pint. Burrows is delicious eye candy that packs a wallop. More intriguing is Hercule Piorot, er, David Suchet, as Lew Vogal--the porn king of 70's London. He is perfectly villainous. Richard Linton plays MI Agent Tim Everett perfectly enigmatic.

The Bank Job is a slick production but never jumps the shark. The spot-on locales, detailed settings and costuming evoke the scene perfectly. The audience quickly forgets the 'based on a true story' angle until confronted with the known aftermath as the credit begin to role.

This film meanders and twists like no other and to think it actually happened!! Keeping up with its angles made the film even more fun. Pimps, thieves, officials and royalty collide to payoff like you wouldn't believe. The Bank Job is an enthralling ride of deception, money, sex, blackmail and getaway.

So, a big bank robbery did take place on Baker Street in 1971. The culprits were never found, nor was the loot and after initial big headlines, the story disappeared from the newspapers. If the real robbery was half as exciting as The Bank Job, how cool is that.