Synopsis: Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.
Adapted from Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella of the same name, the film is written and directed by Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter). Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte round out the cast.
What We Thought:
Despite its star-studded cast I thought the trailers for Crime 101 made it seem like a straight-to-video, generic, action flick. I actually considered skipping it because it just didn’t look all that interesting. It ended up being a solid crime drama thanks to its leads and Tony Scott-style vibe.
I was honestly expecting a poor man’s Heat which is fine because Heat is one of the greatest crime dramas put on film. It has a similar cat & mouse story like Michael Mann’s film with Mark Ruffalo’s cop character trying to catch Chris Hemsworth’s 101 Freeway thief. Where it differs is the action set pieces. Heat is known for some of the greatest shootout sequences in cinematic history. Crime 101 is more of a thinking man’s drama with most of the action behind the wheel. It won’t rival Drive or Baby Driver, but it gets the job done.
The bulk of the film is spent with its characters. The film works because Hemsworth is easy to root for. He’s a pretty man and is effortlessly charming to boot. The movie references Steve McQueen, the King of Cool, and Hemsworth is definitely a charismatic McQueen type in the film. Monica Barbaro falls for the man with no real past or friends or family. He has a code and doesn’t hurt anyone so even as the “bad guy” of the film, the audience cheers him on.
You also get the previously mentioned Ruffalo, Oscar winner Halle Berry, Oscar nominees Barbaro, Barry Keoghan and Nick Nolte and more. They all serve their parts to the story, but the film does go on a bit longer than it should. Maybe you could cut the Barbaro/Hemsworth love interest. Maybe you could spend less time on Berry’s work or Ruffalo’s marriage issues. The film does drag in the second act as the audience waits for the third act heist to kick in.
Maybe my expectations were so low for Crime 101 that I didn’t mind it. It’s not going to replace any of the previous films I’ve mentioned, but for a film I almost didn’t go to I enjoyed it. I thought it would be a film Tony Scott would make nowadays if he was still with us. If your girl is with her girls seeing “Wuthering Heights” this weekend take your boys to see this.
The Nerds Templar 