CRIME 101
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, and Nick Nolte
Director: Bart Layton
ADRIANO
A send-up to Michael Mann that actually seems to be learning the right lessons from him? Well, I’ll be damned. Crime 101 far surpassed my expectations, despite it being longer than it should have been, thanks in part to a romance plot that could’ve been scrapped. But in general, it’s well-shot and paced as an exhilarating crime movie. What impressed me most was all of these storylines, which could’ve been too much for one film, ultimately coming together in grand fashion. I could use more original and effective character-driven heist films like this more often.
NICK
In his first fully fictional feature, director Bart Layton brings us a type of film we don't really get much anymore. Evoking memories of prime Michael Mann films, this is a no nonsense, star-studded heist film that never goes too big. There are moments of tense action, sure, but they’re calculated and within a grounded character examination. Chris Hemsworth suitably steps into the lead role, supported by the likes of Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, and Barry Keoghan (not to mention Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, and a well-cast Nick Nolte), but it’s the slick stylings of this film that leave the most lasting impression.
AMARÚ
30 minutes into Crime 101, a Run The Jewels track starts playing and confirmed my feelings up to that point. Just as RTJ are all-caps RAPPERS, writer/director Bart Layton’s homage to peak 90s crime thrillers is an all-caps MOVIE. Layton’s gritty camera work lays the foundation, Blanck Mass’ intense score sets the tone, and Chris Hemsworth’s against-type, contained vulnerability engrosses you in this briskly paced, two-plus hour, absolute banger. I thought it impossible to believably make Hemsworth awkward, call Halle Berry “too old”, or proclaim a heist film worthy of phrases like “shades of Heat”, but Crime 101 did a helluva job proving otherwise.
BODE
There’s no way to talk about Crime 101 without addressing the most obvious point about it: writer-director Bart Layton very clearly loves Michael Mann. Why else would you make a heist film set in Los Angeles if you weren’t aiming to pay homage to Heat in some way, shape, or form? For what it’s worth, the British documentarian is pretty successful in pulling it off, with all the style, muscle and grounded character development that comes with this sort of thing. Add in a star-studded cast (all doing solid work), and you’ve got a pleasantly solid surprise.
