by EL NINO
Director: Roger Donaldson

Actors: Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows

In a nutshell: Used car salesman quickly find himself in over his head when a bank robbery suggested by an old neighbourhood friend turns out to be more than he bargained for.

Three words to describe: Intriguing, quick and surprising

Indicative quote: "You’ve opened Pandora’s box, you dumb prick" Tim Everett

Reason I liked it: Based on the true story of one of the most famous bank robberies in English history. A must for any Anglophile-though you don’t get to REALLY see the naked pics of Princess Margaret…. (that is, if you wanted to).

Annoying Qualities: It is somewhat surprising that a posse of men would be so easily led to do a bank job just because the woman who brought it to them is pretty and is from the ‘old neighbourhood.’ Not a lot of back-story is given and some of the characters involved do come across as conveniently placed. In that sense it attempts to do what other, flashier English gangster movies do, and it falls flat.

This film made me feel: Like I could rob a bank in Marylebone.

You’ll like this film if you liked: Snatch, Stander, Gangster No 1

Verdict: A good story with an interesting link to the end of the love/peace era in Britain (sniff, sniff). It’s always nice to see seemingly proper English folk behaving badly, and this film certainly has A LOT of that, as well as some decent sex scenes. Statham fits the role of a cockney down on his luck type of bloke (unlike some of the other ‘projects’ he’s worked on lately) and it was actually a pleasure to see him as part of a story that suits his talents so well. A ruddy good night out at the cinema.

Go see this film with: Your boyfriend. He’ll be well impressed.