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Yes, I know you were all expecting a review of the big romantic film of Valentine’s weekend but, as you’ll discover, this singleton did not wuther a single height. Instead, I opted for the starry-cast heist drama ‘Crime 101,’ directed by Bart Layton.
Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is a “gentleman jewel thief” – meticulous in his preparation and execution but bound by one strict rule: No-one gets killed.
He commits his crimes along the 101 freeway in Los Angeles and is pursued by dogged detective Lou (Mark Ruffalo), who is convinced there’s a pattern to the robberies that his fellow cops simply can’t see.
Sharon (Halle Berry) is an insurance agent stuck in a dead-end job, gradually being frozen out by her male colleagues. Meanwhile, harbouring doubts about an upcoming job, Davis finds himself sidelined when his boss Money (Nick Nolte) outsources the heist to hot-headed upstart Ormon (Barry Keoghan). With retirement beckoning, Davis decides to go for the classic “one last big score.”
If all of this sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because Crime 101 plays like a marriage of ‘Heat’ and ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ – though not quite reaching the heights of either. Layton, who previously directed the heist docudrama ‘American Animals,’ delivers a slick, meaty crime thriller that borrows liberally from its influences while still feeling reasonably fresh.
It’s a deliberate slow burn. Layton, adapting from a novel by Don Winslow, allows his well-written – if somewhat derivative – characters room to breathe. Los Angeles itself becomes a character, from its brightly lit boulevards to its grimy backstreets and blocks filled with the homeless. Running beneath it all is a familiar but effective theme of “haves and have-nots” and what it means to come from nothing and try to make something of yourself.
Layton isn’t reinventing the heist wheel, and the film wears its influences openly. Still, with each twist and turn, Crime 101 remains consistently entertaining. The set pieces and car chases evoke the spirit of genre films from the ’70s through the ’90s. If there are issues, they’re minor: A few sequences could have used more urgency, and a late-stage love interest for Davis — Maya (Monica Barbaro) — adds little in her limited screen time.
The performances are strong across the board. Hemsworth delivers a calm, controlled presence that contrasts nicely with Keoghan’s volatile energy.
Berry reminds audiences of the class that earned her an Oscar, while Ruffalo brings a world-weary humanity and steely determination that feels effortless. Nolte makes the most of his scenes, and Tate Donovan is enjoyably slimy as a banker.
Glossy, entertaining and bolstered by strong performances, ‘Crime 101’ may feel familiar, but it’s an enjoyable throwback to the heist films of old.
