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KING OF THIEVES
Director: James Marsh Cast: Michael Caine, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent, Charlie Cox, Tom Courtenay, Paul Whitehouse, Michael Gambon, Francesca Annis MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:48 Release Date: 1/25/19 (limited) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | January 24, 2019 In 2015, a quartet of elderly thieves pulled off a brazen heist in London's diamond district, stealing a lot of diamonds, cash, gold, and other valuables worth up to £200 million. King of Thieves tells that story in two distinctly different but definitely straightforward parts: the comedy of the particulars of the heist itself and the reality of how multiple men, with dark histories and nothing to lose, could turn on each other quite easily. The primary draw of the movie, written by Joe Penhall (adapting Mark Seal's magazine article) and directed by James Marsh, is its cast. The movie stars Michael Caine as Brian Reader, a long-time crook who promises to quit crime after his wife's death. When wannabe-thief Basil (Charlie Cox) tells Brian that he has the means to get into the safe deposit building in Hatton Garden, the old crook can't pass on the opportunity. He assembles a crew of men of similar ages, temperaments, and commitments to crime. They're played by Jim Broadbent (as the tough Terry), Ray Winstone (as the erratic Danny), and Tom Courtenay (as the sleepy John), with Michael Gambon turning up as a fence (named Billy, brother of Milly, "the Fish") and Paul Whitehouse as a last-minute addition. The scheme itself plays out as it actually did, with the crew spending Easter weekend drilling holes through the wall of the facility's vault. This section is mostly played for laughs, as the old men bicker amongst themselves, complain about various health issues, and barely work through assorted complications. It's amusing enough, although the actors are primarily to thank for that. After the heist succeeds, Penhall's screenplay takes a decided turn. The crooks are no longer seen as ornery but mostly affable chaps. They're cutthroat in their attempts to divvy up the ill-gotten gains, trying to short the guys who didn't do their part and/or resorting to threats of murder. This section, the stuff of so many tales of this sort, is only enlightening because of its juxtaposition with the humor that has come before it. The cast is game (Flashbacks to the thieves' glory days, using footage from the actors' previous movies, are nostalgically neat), but King of Thieves is of two minds about its anti-heroes (except in its assertion that they're in over their heads). It never decides if they're a joke or a legitimate menace. Copyright © 2019 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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