Review: Crime 101 – Mann up

Directed by Bart Layton
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan

6/10

In a sun-drenched Los Angeles, four people’s stories are about to become hopelessly entwined. Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is a consummate thief, specialising in hitting couriers of high-value items. Sharon (Halle Berry) is an insurance salesperson to the ultra-rich who is struggling with the glass ceiling as she attempts to make partner. Lou (Mark Ruffalo) is a brilliant detective struggling with department politics as he tries to solve a series of crimes along the 101 Freeway. Ormon (Barry Keoghan) is a cocky young thug set to steal from Davis’s latest score. As Davis seeks to set up another heist, these four protagonists come into conflict.

A moody crime thriller with solid construction and strong cinematography. Crime 101 wears its influences on its sleeve, from the atmospheric cityscapes of Mann to the terse car action of Bullitt to the taciturn antihero caught in infinite reflection (both Drive and Point Blank). Yet it manages to be more than a pastiche of classic visual references, bringing its own flair to proceedings. The result is stunning to look at, peppered with a brooding tension.

What lets it down are the characters; as the film threads these disparate lives together, it’s hard to latch on to them. Davis is a professional criminal whose entire behaviour is predicated on not leaving a genuine trace of himself behind. Hemsworth does a good job of portraying a focused and determined individual, and although the character does grow and demonstrate vulnerability, it’s difficult to emotionally engage with him. A similar complaint is true for Halley and Ruffalo, both stretching their characters beyond thinly written cliche purely by their prodigious acting prowess. As the narrative threads these three together, that lack of character becomes noticeable over the extensive run time.

Keoghan is also cursed by this flaw but somehow makes it out unscathed. He’s a glorious mess, a young gunsel clearly over his head and being emotionally manipulated but trying to make it through purely on manic energy and violence. It’s an entertainingly unhinged performance and adds some much-needed tension to events.

However, without the characters giving it a strong emotional touchpoint, Crime 101 can feel oddly sterile. It’s competently made with a strong plot, beautifully shot, and well acted, yet somehow lacking. It has the core of a good idea, but spread out over two and a half hours, it begins to feel thin. Brings a little Heat, but the centre is just lukewarm.

DAVID O’CONNELL