Rating of
2.5/4
CHUNKS!
Matthew Brady - wrote on 11/11/19
"I'll have you for chunks!"
'King of Thieves' is a slow burn that builds up to nothing. Not to say it doesn't have any entertaining moments despite a sluggish pace.
I mean, what a cast! Micheal Caine, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Ray Winstone, and Paul Whitehouse. Centering around a bank heist? Now that sounds like a movie. The back and forward interactions are great and the dry humor perfectly matches their age. Shame you don't get a back story of who these characters are, because I was having trouble caring when the odds are against them.
Michael Caine is excellent, of course. - especially during a scene between him and Charlie Cox after his wife passed. Rather than bawling into tears, Caine instead chooses to reflect deeply on grief itself. You feel his loneliness in that scene while in his large and empty house. None of it felt like acting.
But to me, Jim Broadbent was the show stealer. He’s character is a borderline psycho and displays an intense form throughout, but often shows a softer side during the quiet moments of the film, showing his natural side. When he snaps and becomes threatening, it’s set up in the movie where it would make sense for him to act like that, rather than no reason at all. He was superb, as always.
Director James Marsh at least brings a visual style to the film. Slicing old footage of these actors early work with sharp editing and jazz music. He also knows how to get the best performance out of everyone. Too bad he overlooked everything else.
The movie doesn't know what it wants to be. First a gritty crime drama, then 'Last of the Summer Wine'. Or how we're are thrown into the heist and before you know it, it's all done. Half of the time it felt like a low budget TV drama.
It's sad to see Michael Gambon like this. I hope this isn't going to be Gambon playing 'some old fool' mode.
