Customer Reviews

The Bank

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Bank" is a tight excellently executed Australian film. David Wenham stars as Jim Doyle, a math wizard that's come up with BTSE, an experimental banking program. Wenham has caught audiences' eye as the transvestite playwright in "Moulin Rouge" and as "Faramir" in the two final "Lord of the Rings" films. Here he absorbs into the role as a brainy math guy whose ultimate tale of revenge has a long burning fuse that pops at the film's stunning climax. The romantic angle comes as he falls for Michelle played by newcomer Sibylla Budd.

Anthony LaPaglia from TV's "Without A Trace" achieves great intensity as the buy & sell businessman Simon O'Reilly whose heart is money. The film's message of corporate responsibility is driven home with the subplot of the bank foreclosing on Wayne & Diane Davis' loan. Blond Steve Rodgers does a nice job as the father bereft by his son's death in a tragic accident as a result of the bank foreclosure. His revenge scene with LaPaglia at the end is brilliantly out of control. Mitchell Butell as the lawyer Stephen does a nice job as the pro bono lawyer who tries to help the couple. This is a first director/screenwriter job for Robert Connelly who keeps the tension flowing, the dialogue pointed & economical, and the visual images of the bank and the lavish home of LaPaglia memorable. This is a small film, but an excellent one, well worth an evening's entertainment. Enjoy!

THE BANK is another Australian movie that demonstrates how sophisticated 'foreign' films can be. Robert Connolly directs this tale of corruption with breakneck speed, leaving little time for catching a breath much less understanding the heavily accented dialogue (no English subtitles available on this DVD and many conversations are lost because of the thick Aussie accents by some of the actors). Anthony LaPaglia is the devil incarnate and David Wenham as the new PhD in mathematics who can drive LaPaglia's scheming to disastrous ends. Both are excellent as are the other cast members. The music score by Alan Jones is superb (listen carefully to the boys choral writing) and the graphics are top notch. Not a great movie but a thoroughly entertaining, edge of your seat, wizardlike video game - one in which you as viewer can surmise all the moves.

This Australian release was really enjoyable for the first 2/3 of the movie as it ran two interesting but independent story lines, but it falls apart sadly and spirals into the realm of the seriously implausible for the final part of the movie when the stories converge.

No plot spoilers from me, The Bank's main plot centers on mathematician Jim Doyle (David Wenham) who has developed a powerful program to predict stock market trends and the power hungry CEO Simon O'Reilly (Anthony LaPaglia) who wants to exploit the program (and Jim) for significant economic gain. There is a subplot that runs concurrently about a family that suffers a tragedy that is caused, somewhat indirectly, by "The Bank". There is an interesting love interest, Michelle (Sibylla Budd), to add another dimension to Jim and also helps to confuse the plot a bit. The acting is fairly solid, but the standout is an over the top performance by LaPaglia who plays the arrogant capitalist stereotype to perfection.

The cinematography is almost inspired in places. The use of imagery and lighting to convey the richness of the corporate "haves" verses the starkness of the "have nots" was incredibly well done. There were also times where the lighting, music score, and camera moves were used with great effect to build the emotion of the scene.

With almost all movies there is some suspension of disbelief required, and it is easy to over look the over use of chaos theory and fractals thrown in with other techspeak to explain what Jim does, but the actions of people are more predictable so are harder to forgive when one acts completely out of character for the sake of a plot device. There are some interesting plot twists and even a few feel good moments, but overall it fails to deliver a solid and believable story.

If you must see "The Bank", this one is a rent not a buy.

This refreshing movie is a thriller with no physical violence. The hero doesn't try to win the day by punching or shooting. Instead, he uses his intelligence and creativity. One of the main ideas of the film is that it might be possible to predict the stock market using some mathematical formula. Certainly, there is ongoing research into that area. Various formulas have been tried in the last few years with well publicized results. There is a little mathematical mumbo jumbo in the film which probably adds to the production design, but isn't necessary to understand the film. There is a little bit of Hitchcock in the film including some illogic in the script, but it's enjoyable all the same. Anthony La Paglia does some great acting as the antagonist for whom creating additional profit for a corporation is the only goal. In case you think his portrayal is over the top, rent Enron: The Smartest Men in the Room, a chilling documentary about actions in the Board Room.

Many features of the plot of this film were in The Spanish Prisoner which is also a thriller without violence.

I thought the movie was good, darker than you would normally expect with the boy being brought out of the river with the damn bank forclosure notice on in his shirt. But I give it an A because it had a good story line & I appreciated the gordon gecko couterpart who got screwed. Two thumbs up & I got to watch it for free!!


Thanks Amazon

This is by far the greatest film I have ever seen. It ranks up there with Usual Suspects and House of Games. With The Bank you are essentially watching two movies unfold to an incredible end. Forget Gordan Gekko, Anothoy P. puts him to shame. The computer programmer must have worked for Keiser Sosa. That is how good he is. I just wish the movie would have got a distribution deal. That shows you how shallow Hollywood really is. You won't be disappointed.

This little Australian good guy vs bad guy flick is well directed and exceptionally well photographed. Most of the acting is top notch, and the script, while it does get a bit maudlin in places, is above average. I especially enjoyed the wistful score, mostly piano, but other things at times. I wasn't sure when this took place, though apparently 2002. For a film that won't be seen by many in the US, this is worth seeking out.

This movie was a weekend special. I didn't have high hopes but it was a great surprise. It was paced well, I found it entertaining. And it was good to see a "Corporate America" get the "what for". Yes!!!!

A classic tale of the Good Guy vs. The Man.
The man with all the ca$h that is.

The ending twists somewhat, but some of it you just expect.

Amazon had a free view of it when I checked it out, which made it a sweet deal.
Even if it cost a few dollars, it is worth watching.

Enjoy it :)

Loved it, great foreshadowing, nice plot lines, and revenge was sweet. I had expected a different motivation from the main character, but seeing the one couples lost son was enough. I only did not catch it. I think the ending was poetic. The director left the impression that both were parting ways, yet they seemed to be leaving at the same time. Hmm, what was in their minds?