This is one very funny rom-com/bank heist based on true events from 1972. Small time bank robbers pull off this country’s largest heist trying to steal $30 million in dirty money from President Richard Nixon’s illegal secret campaign fund.
Mark Steven Johnson directs a fun script written by Ken Hixon and Keith Sharon using chronological flashbacks during a bizarre conversation with Steve McQueen, aka Harry Barber (Travis Fimmel – Lean on Pete, Vikings TV series and Warcraft: The Beginning) and his girlfriend, Molly Murphy (Rachael Taylor- Jessica Jones TV Series, Ladies in Black). She finds out after 7 years that he’s not who she thinks he is as he spins the tale of his part in the big bank robbery.
The story unfolds with the two of them fessing up. She is made up to look like Debbie Harry, and he just orders and keeps eating every possible chocolate dessert. It fills up their booth at the local diner as he reveals the details of his foray into criminal fame.
Fimmel as Barber is childlike, adorable and very sincere. His ice blue eyes and blond shock of hair make this bank robber look more like a choir boy. He idolizes Steve McQueen and steals hot cars and squeals the tires emulating the hero from his favorite film, Bullitt. Harry even tries to look like him. He really loves Molly and their mutual love for movies brings them even closer.
Harry and his brother were factory workers in a in a Youngstown, Ohio vending machine factory owned by the brains behind the heist, his uncle Enzo. William Fichtner (Empire, 12 Strong) is a riot as the profane, crusty kingpin in this operation to steal the loot from safe deposit boxes in the United California Bank which actually occurred in March of 1972. In the movie, Enzo hated Nixon and wanted to deny him the money and expose what he was up to.
Pauly, (Louis Lombardy), Bobby (Kenny Alfonso), and Harry’s brother Tommy (Jake Weary) who was a bit off after serving in Viet Nam rounded out this kookie band of characters. These small time thieves rented a house near the bank and the scene of them experiencing a hot tub for the first time is hilarious. Especially with Bobby wearing a shower cap to protect his coif.
Director Johnson shows how meticulously the plan was pretty well thought out. These guys could think on their feet as they picked a pretty ingenious way to get into the vault and rob it over 3 days without drawing any attention from the Laguna Niguel cops. These guys could roll with the punches using unconventional tactics in 1972. They didn’t have cell phones, and other sophisticated technology and they made off with $9 million in cash and all kinds of gold, jewelry, and memorabilia.
One minor slip up did them in. FBI investigator Howard Lambert (Forest Whitaker-Black Panther, The Last King of Scotland) with Assistant Sharon Prise (Lily Rabe- Miss Stevens, Voltron, American Horror Story TV series) piece together who got into the bank and how. They are methodical and Whitaker is so low key. Loved scenes of him unwinding playing the French horn and giving respect and credit to assistant Sheri for her brain power before women were given that credit.
Johnson provides enough background on them that you get to know who they are. W. Mark Felt (John Finn) who very recently died after coming out as Deep Throat) supervises Lambert’s investigation from Washington which is another nice historical footnote that Johnson throws into the mix.
The storytelling proceeds step-by-step, providing the details as Johnson meticulously shows them on the screen. The music of the 70’s enhances the action like Harry speeding in his GTO, (“Drivin’ My Life Away, Runnin’ Around,”) and the romance with Molly, (“Crimson and Clover,” “Good Love,” “Cherish”). It is perfectly matched to whatever is going on at the time.
The scenes of Harry peeling out like Steve McQueen, and the band of bank robbers emptying safe deposit boxes, finding an urn of some poor person’s ashes by mistake, is strangely comical.
The slip up is a nice payoff and leads to finding out what happens to these characters as a result. We giggled throughout. This is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a light hearted trip into political revenge of sorts related to money told through a love sick Harry telling it all to the woman he loves. Fimmel is engaging, charming, calm and cute. His blue eyes mesmerize. And his calm demeanor is a nice juxtaposition to Taylor’s fiery personality as Molly.
Johnson has given us a clever bank heist film that brings 1972 nostalgia back with a political twist and a bunch of engaging characters you end up pulling for. We got a kick out of this take based on a true and unusual historical bank robbery related to dirty politics. Could there be someone out there now looking for another stash of dirty cash?
Momentum Pictures 91 Minutes R
