The Bank Job (2008)

Nothing ruins the thrill of a big score quite like finding out someone else planned it for you. Roger Donaldson's "The Bank Job" is a lively, thoroughly entertaining heist movie loosely based on the real-life 1971 Baker Street robbery in London. Jason Statham stars as Terry Leather, a struggling car dealer with shady connections, who gets an offer he can't refuse from an old flame, Martine (Saffron Burrows): a Lloyds Bank branch will have its alarm system switched off, leaving its safety deposit boxes ripe for the picking. What Terry and his small-time crew don't know is that Martine is working for British intelligence agents, who want one particular box containing scandalous photos of a royal. That doubles the fun. The robbery delivers the usual heist-movie suspense, but once it's over, the crew is hunted by the police, the government and ruthless underworld figures, including a sleazy porn king (David Suchet), whose own secrets were stashed in the vault. It won't win any awards, but it's a blast. Donaldson ("No Way Out") keeps the action moving at a vigorous pace, cutting cleanly between multiple storylines and a colorful cast of characters. Statham steps away from his usual bone-crunching roles to play someone more human, and he's convincing. The rest of the cast, including Keeley Hawes and many familiar faces from British film and TV, give their characters just the right touch of personality without slowing the story's headlong rush. With a little romance, plenty of action, a sly sense of humor and a twisting plot, it's the kind of movie that makes the world a happier place.