Jason Statham is one of my favorite modern actors but I will be the first to admit that his film career, quality wise, has been really hit and miss. For every good production Statham has been involved in from the early Guy Ritchie films to The Italian Job (2003) to Crank (2006) there has been some real junk like London (2005) and In The Name Of the King (2007) thrown in for good measure. Still, whatever production he is appearing in, Statham is just amazing…exuding the charisma, good looks and strength of guys from the past like McQueen and Bronson.
I am positively thrilled to report that Jason’s newest film, The Bank Job, is a real winner and one of the best films he has ever been involved in. Directed with real pizzazz and control by Roger Donaldson and featuring great supporting work from Saffron Burrows among others, The Bank Job is a real winner and its failure at the box office is a real disappointment.
I honestly don’t know what to say about the poor performance of The Bank Job with the public. Honestly there is so little playing worth a damn right now that I am amazed by how well it didn’t do. Statham has had some huge hits, the entertaining Luc Besson written and produced The Transporter and smashing The Italian Job remake chief among them, and the critical support for The Bank Job is there but the public is just turning off right now. I just don’t get it.
I am not going to post any real thoughts on The Bank Job until I get a chance to see it again. I just wanted to throw some love to the film and Statham’s way. It’s an uncommonly intelligent and exciting modern British based crime film that harkens back to the real classics of the genre like Get Carter (1971, the year The Bank Job is set in). In fact, on first viewing I would say that The Bank Job is the best British based Crime Drama since Layer Cake (2004) and Statham has never been better. Do yourself a favor and see the film at a theater before it disappears in a couple of weeks.
