Latest from stunt man turned action director is David Leitch who helms ‘How to rob a bank’ that sees a savvy bunch of content creators who……well, they rob banks. But the differenced here is that they post their bank robbing exploits online in a bid to enthuse others to follow in their footsteps with their snappily edited, ‘How to’ guides.
How to rob a bank….
It’s a deliriously acid fused first act with the animal masked gang led by Nicholas Hoult and in pursuit is a small FBI unit led by John C Reilly appalled at his team’s inability to get any leads on the gang for the past few years. The only lead they do get is a skanky Zoe Kravitiz’ computer programme designer who incessantly shovels junk food into her mouth and is currently under house arrest. Her assistance could help Reilly nail the gang and in return get her house arrest sentence lifted. They are the odd couple but also stretch credulity because as Reilly tells his own team they have every FBI resource at their call….. so why do they need to call on this girl whose skills seem to be little more than what the FBI are able to do as a matter of course.
How to catch the robbers….
Soon it becomes clear that the gang have a reason for pulling off so many bank robberies in the films simplistic analysis of the evils of capitalism that’s little better than a wannabe be first year student anarchist whose commitment to alliance the black flag is because his mum is not their wash his bedsheets anymore. ‘They’re dangerous because they’re turning people against civilization’ says Reilly
With director Leitch’s budget significantly smaller than his last film, ‘The Fall Guy’ there are nonetheless some impressively orchestrated sequences that make up the first half of the film before the tone becomes uneven with some sombre moments none more so than one with Pete Davidson that’s unexpectedly moving but out of kilter with what’s gone before.
How to rob a bank is certainly a blast but its climatic call to action is a bit of a stretch even if its sentiment about who should be protected – the banks or the people – is not an unreasonable one.
related feature : ‘Hard to Kill’ – William Sadler on what Steven Seagal did behind the scenes !
related feature : ‘The Last Heist’ – cockney geezer bank robbers at large!
Here’s the trailer….
