The Bank Job

After a few of us watched Jennie (and many others) dance in a hafla earlier this evening, a different few of us ate take-out Indian food, and then a yet again different few of us went to see The Bank Job. Overall, I found it a pleasant and sufficiently unusual caper film that my interest did not waver. Jason Statham stayed within his range and delivered a solid performance, and the supporting cast members were, in the usual way of British actors, to a person quite strong.

I was struck at the end, however, by how very much this movie's plot depended on the civility of the British government of the time. When the government made its deals, it stuck to them with rigid honor. I suspect had the equivalent situation arisen in the U.S., the government agencies in charge here would have arranged for accidents to befall all involved. Cultural context is sometimes quite literally everything.