I appear on “CTV News at 11:30” with anchor Andria Case to talk about the Chris Hemsworth heist movie “Crime 101” and the Disney+ show “Love Story: John F. Kennedy & Carolyn Bessette.
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 38:09)
SYNOPSIS: In “Crime 101,” a new, all-star heist thriller starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry, and now playing in theatres, a relentless detective is on the case of the 101 Robber, a jewel thief who targets victims along the 101 freeway in Los Angeles.
CAST: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Nolte, Halle Berry. Directed by Bart Layton.
REVIEW: If you’re making a cat-and-mouse cops and robbers movie you may as well borrow from the best. Despite interesting characters, twists and turns and high-octane action, “Crime 101” reverberates with echoes of Michael Mann movies like “Heat” and “Thief” with a side of Elmore Leonard thrown in.
Based on a Don Winslow novella, “Crime 101” is a Los Angeles noir; a thriller ripe with cynicism, sun dappled crime and obsessive, often morally compromised characters.
Chris Hemsworth is Mike Davis, a jewel thief who robs high value targets along the 101 freeway. Meticulous, he carefully plans each heist to avoid unnecessary violence and ensure a clean getaway. When things become difficult with his fence, the ironically named Money (Nick Nolte) who seems to be intent on keeping the money from their jobs for himself, Mike looks for one big score. One with “walk away” money. “That’s the thing about walk-away money,” he says. “You gotta be able to walk away with it.”
When he meets Sharon Combs (Halle Berry), a disillusioned insurance broker looking to put the screws to the company she thinks is passing her over for a promotion, he pumps her for information regarding one of her high-value clients.
His painstaking planning is disrupted by Ormon (Barry Keoghan), a violent biker Money sees as his new partner and Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo), a detective determined to put an end to Mike’s crime spree.
“Crime 101” has a lot going for it. It’s a slick thriller that takes its time to let us get to know its characters. Each one of them has flaws, even the good guys have bad traits, which makes for textured storytelling.
The A-list cast provide enough star power to bring to life the ambition, obsession and disillusionment that fuel the gritty story.
And yet, for the all the positives, “Crime 101” feels as generic as its title. It’s entertaining and moody, but the story feels like Michael Mann Lite; a derivative collection of crime tropes bound together by a fancy bow.
