Is this crime thriller as good as Heat?
Based on a novella published by Don Winslow, Crime 101 is a fresh, new heist thriller made for the big screen. With its action-packed sequences including vigorous car chases and hair-raising robberys, this thrilling ride was made to be seen on the big screen. The pulsating score, smooth camera movements mixed with an easy narrative to follow, this movie shines like a film that feels like a classic 90s hit.
I have to hand my flowers to this casting director who delivers a stellar ensemble cast any filmmaker would kill to work with. For you Marvel fans out there, we even have a mini Avengers reunion! Chris Hemsworth stars as Mike Davis, our thief who loves to steal diamonds in California. He has a pattern he follows, all of his diamond-stealing crimes take place along the 101 freeway. His pattern is picked up by detective Lou, played by Mark Ruffalo, who’s having a hard time convincing his bosses that he may of figured out who the mysterious criminal is. Whilst Chris always delivers a good performance, his enigmatic character with little to no back story made it super hard to root for him, even when his character makes the conscious choices of choosing not to hurt his victims, even leaving his hostages with bottles of water. However, Mark Ruffalo continues to show why he is one of the most hardworking actors in Hollywood today, delivering a humorous but heartfelt performance. You just never stop wanting the best for him. Mike also crosses paths with another thief, Ormon, who is working under the same boss as him. Barry Keoghan delivers a great performance playing this violent, crazed criminal who is tasked with the same task as Mike. He’s never afraid to hold back and is desperate to take what he wants, it was tough to predict what he would do next. A great choice by Layton to show the differences in the two thiefs who had the same task, but their approaches were so different. Ormon was extremely violent, where as Mark was almost ominously untroubled.
The women of this movie are the standouts for me. Halle Berry brings her A-game as Sharon, an insurance broker who is struggling with gaining her rightfully-earned partnership position at her company. Mike and Sharon cross paths at the right time, just when she is looking for her own way out. Whilst I think this movie doesn’t benefit from the romance storyline, I think it was obviously chosen to humanise Mike. The wonderful Monica Barbaro stars as Maya, a girl next door type character that begins dating the mysterious Mike. Maya is just like us honestly, almost desperate to learn what his backstory may be from what little he shares. Monica reminds us why she is incredible at what she does, her on screen presence is radiant in every scene she is in. She stole the show for me, her enticing presence was a scene stealer even opposite someone like Chris Hemsworth. She was massively underused but I can’t wait to see what she does next.
On paper, it really is a solid heist movie. Is the fact that it’s basically a Heat rip off a terrible thing? Not at all! It’s engaging and enjoyable. However with a 140 minute runtime, it does feel a little long at times and the slow-burn does catch up to you. The build-up to the final act is super dragged out, this may not be everyones cup of tea but the captivating score and suspense somehow makes up for it. It’s a thrilling ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Not to spoil too much but there is one scene between Mike and Lou in a car that had me biting my nails in anxiety. Crime 101 is thrilling, action-packed and intense enough to engage the audience even when it is a little slow.(4/5)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
