Heist films have always had there place in Hollywood, but he majority have gone the caper route since Ocean’s Eleven (Now You See Me, Tower Heist, The Italian Job, etc.) Opting for well hashed out schemes with a late twist and plenty of humor sprinkled in kept it all lighthearted and was a proven recipe for success. Seeming lost in the fray, gritty robbery movies became much more the exception than the rule. A niche or subgenre of sorts, if you will. Bleakly set against the concrete backdrop of Los Angeles, Den of Thieves arrived in theaters to test the market once again.
There is no mistaking the tone of this film. Text overlay details the frequency and commonality of bank robberies…almost as if it’s a way of life in LA. Within minutes, automatic assault rifles rip through the night air and everything else in their path. The bodies of law enforcement officers lay scattered and lifeless. In a world where gun violence and mass shootings are all too common, this was an incredibly harsh mood to set. I give writer/director Christian Gudegast immense credit for having the guts to paint that kind of picture from the beginning. Bank robbery isn’t sexy or chic, it’s dangerous and that’s an important distinction that I’m glad he made. It was a bold move, especially for a first time director.
Gudegast also penned the screenplay which incorporates influences from within the genre, but loses much of its own identity in the process. The story and the dialogue are serviceable, but the character designs lack imagination and depth. More importantly, they all reek of moral ambiguity. It’s one thing to avoid depictions of characters that are entirely good or entirely bad, but when there isn’t enough depth there to clearly define and illustrate their choices, allowing the audience to make those judgments, then we’re left without anyone or anything to cheer for. That’s where this movie lost it’s way. It’s at it’s best in the first third of the film and gradually loses steam as it motors along. Even the final showdown is anticlimactic because you’re not invested in who comes out on top. So in the end, the film suffers from a noticeable lack of heart.
There are some strong performances in the movie, although they weren’t game changing. At the forefront of them was Pablo Schreiber as Ray Merrimen, a former marine who lost his way without any reason why. He takes to the leadership role well but never really embodies the qualities of the big bad guy. Instead, Schreiber is fairly likeable for the majority of the film. This could be the kind of role that finally crosses him over after his recent role as Mad Sweeney on American Gods has garnered him a bit more widespread attention.
Gerard Butler had a few strong moments where his character ‘Big Nick’ was able to dominate scenes, but the good cop/bad husband angle isn’t new territory and there wasn’t enough evidence on either side to that equation to clearly define the character. He was afforded more of a backstory as the film’s lead character, but it didn’t do much to alter his behavior or pull the audience to his side. In the one moment that should elicit some emotional response, although Butler plays it well, the audience is left to observe the result of his discretions without any tangible connection to him as the character.
The third head of the beast belongs to O’Shea Jackson Jr. (and yes that’s a pun on the actor’s role in the upcoming Godzilla sequel) who got to play a bit of hero and villain in this one. The Straight Outta Compton star is making a name for himself as a charismatic breath of fresh air mixed with a little throwback. Playing the streetwise bartender who’s wrapped up with Merrimen’s crew, this role was basically right in his bread basket. Thrusting him into what amounts to a third leading role added to the messiness. Jackson also had moments where he was strong, but there was quite a lot going on so it was hard for any of the three main men to gain a solid grasp on the lead.
The film is helped by an intense score by Cliff Martinez. If the seriousness of what you’re seeing on screen isn’t self explanatory, the music carries you the rest of the way. In a similar supporting fashion, Terry Stacey’s cinematography choices are gritty and close-quartered. That style served the dual purpose of bringing the audience into the action while keeping a level of gritty realism which provided some much needed authenticity to this type of film.
Unfortunately, if you’re paying attention, the end of the movie is fairly predictable long before the reveal actuals happens. On the one hand, it meant the story was consistent and easy to follow, but on the other hand, too much energy was focused on the ‘twist’ and the film sort of funnels everything that direction. Had more emphasis been placed on the characters and their relationships with each other, it would have been easier to disguise the endgame and more rewarding once they got there. Overall it isn’t bad, but it struggles to escape the shadows of its predecessors and overcome its own ambition.
Recommendation: This is a reasonably enjoyable movie if you’re looking something without much commitment. I expected more but I didn’t feel swindled when I left the theater either. For a Saturday afternoon outing, this is decent way kill a few hours. The film is violent and profanity laced, which is fine with me, but should be a consideration for those with children. Clearly the mom with the eight-year-old boy next to me didn’t care, but spent much of the film covering the kid’s face and attempting to stop him from wriggling around in utter boredom.
Grade: C