This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
One Final Score
Plot Overview
L.A. gentleman thief
James Davis (Chris Hemsworth) started in squalor but raised
himself, albeit dishonestly, to a respectable income
robbing couriers fingered by hacker Wilson and fenced by Money man
(Nick Nolte.) The Santa Barbara job Davis scoped out “doesn't
feel right,” it being a daytime heist when much can go
wrong, so he declines it. It gets reassigned to Ormon a reckless biker.
LAPD Detective Lou Buddha (Mark Ruffalo)
feels he has unearthed a geographical pattern from the careful
thief, but his fellow officers don't buy it, especially since it
indicates they convicted the wrong man in one case. The Blue Fraternity
even gets Lou's testimony to support an unrighteous shooting, though he
is generally straight. He gets a break and goes undercover.
Insurance
broker Sharon Colms (Halle Berry) punctiliously applies
makeup and practices Yoga meditation to mask her age (53) as she
grooms high end clients for their business. Her company has passed
her by for promotion despite her enviable record; they want to
dangle fresher meat in front of their prospects. Davis approaches
her offering her a 3 million cut on an 11 million take
from a courier hit on a wedding transaction if she will give him
the particulars in advance. It's “walkaway money.”
The mark with his ill gotten gains may be armed, Detective Lou is
on their trail, and Ormon posing as a bellboy wants to grab it all.
Not every one is likely to walk away from this one.
Ideology
Several shots of homeless encampments on the big screen accompanied by Davis's commentary give us to understand that he made an early decision in life not to end up like that, whence his life of crime. We are cautioned in the good book:
(Prov. 1:10-19) “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.”
It's an enticing life with the lure of wealth, the downside being that people get hurt, not the least of which is the criminals themselves. Davis was careful not to let that happen, which became part of his m.o. that the police put together on him. But even so, with so many weapons and Ormon the wild card, something was bound to go wrong, Det. Lou's ability to restage a mulligan notwithstanding.
It looks like the whole city is corrupt in one way or another;
they all want a piece of the American pie, but not everybody
can be accommodated for a big bite. Too many chiefs and not enough
Indians, as it were. It's similar to authoress Amber Dermont:
A century ago, the kings of Thailand were allowed to marry and bear children with as many women as they pleased. Consequently, the current royal family is overrun by hundreds of lesser princes and princesses, sired by distant cousins to the reigning king. I didn't know this then. I though the prince was the king's own son and I assumed his tragic end would make the headlines. I imagined that as the official girlfriend, I'd be interviewed by the Post, flown over at the kingdom's expense, and treated, during the funeral, like a noble widow. The prince's father, a second cousin to the king, was the black sheep of the royal family. He tried and failed— (197)
The singular white sheep in this movie is a distracted driver Maya (Monica Barbaro) who declines a cash payout from Davis to cover the damage of a fender bender in her boss's car, but insists on following protocol, exchanging numbers. This leads to a dinner date, and then more. She's attracted to him, but he remains a mystery not telling her where he works, or introducing her to his friends & family, or even displaying family photographs. Red flags galore here.
Production Values
“” (2026) was directed by Bart Layton. It was written by Bart Layton and Don Winslow. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Barry Keoghan. Hemsworth gave a strong lead, and Ruffalo was worthy of syndication. Keoghan helmeted and riding forward in the saddle was downright scary. The secondary parts were well played, too.
MPA rated it R for language throughout, some violence and sexual material/nudity. It's a perfectly good production shining light on the characters' motivations as well as their sordid environment. The score does it justice. Its runtime stretches to 2 hours 19 minutes, but you can't have everything.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
It held my interest, had lots of action, and delved into motivations more than is customary. You'd have to be brain dead not to follow the plot. Surprises await.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Decent action scenes. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Special effects: Well done special effects. Video Occasion: Fit For a Friday Evening. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.
Works Cited
Scripture is taken from the King James Version. Pub. 1611, rev. 1769. Software.
Dermont, Amber. “Sorry, You Are Not a Winner.” From Damage Control. Copyright © 2013 by Amber Dermont. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2013. First edition. Print.
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