Revisiting one of the infamous and recent jewel robberies in London, the true events story King of Thieves opens in theaters today. With a top British cast lead by Michael Caine, the film adds a little “Hollywood” to its story and sets up a very intriguing, compelling and a bit comical homage to the days of the gang who planned for a “one more time” try at millions. Nicely directed and filmed, it’s a must see for those who like some fun chaos and a surprise ending.
Retired from his career as a jewel thief, Brian Reader (Michael Caine) starts to get antsy on his future. Being the smartest of the other members of his former group, he decides to bring them together for one last robbery. Involved with Brian are Terry Perkins (Jim Broadbent), Danny Jones (Ray Winstone), John “Kenny” Collins (Tom Courtenay) Billy “The Fish” Lincoln (Michael Gambon), Carl Wood (Paul Whitehouse), and Basel (Charlie Cox).
With the house full of thieves, Brian unleashes his plan to rob the Hatton Garden safe depository with the help of insider tech Basel. Kept inside the vault are safety deposit boxes owned by well to do businessmen protecting their jewelry and even gold that have stashed away. With the plan in place and things are all set to go, Brian finds out he will not be participating after all.
Director James Marsh introduces his characters giving each a personality that clashes with each other. With Broadbent he makes Terry this complainer who wants his two cents known on every step of the way. He and Billy (played by Gambon), who’s suspicious everyone in the gang, side with each other on almost everything including their doubts about Brian. Kenny (Courtenay) can’t hear out of left ear and loses every other word in a conversation in the right, but he’s very loyal to the group. Then there’s Basel, the alarm and tech specialist, who’s an admirer of Brian and the real mastermind of the job. As for Carl (Whitehouse), he’s the lookout that can’t keep awake and easily distracted.
The fun of the film includes seeing the famous cast all together in this comical romp that’s not all that it seems to be. Caine who’s one of the most respected actor with 170 credits to his name, breathes life into King of Thieves and I really enjoyed his performance here. In most all his films he’s a chameleon with characters that are different and very memorable, but here he’s himself with his cockney brogue and infectious smile.
The other mainstay is Jim Broadbent known for roles that stretch from the mid 1970’s. His career includes characters in Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Moulin Rouge, Gangs of New York and his Oscar winning film Iris. He brings a strong performance as the ageing thief who questions the job, but knows it’s his only hope to get enough money to stay ahead of the Police and split for a safer haven.
I like the way Director Marsh uses locations where the 2015 original robbery took place in London. Including exteriors of the Hatton Garden and streets around the depository. And pay attention to the beginning credits as those are shots of the real criminals that the film is fashioned after. The end of the film shows the stars with a quick photo of their early days with some in B&W films. It’s a nice comparison that shows how long the cast has been working in movies. The ending also tells you where the actual robbers are today and what happened to all the money.
King of Thieves has R for language throughout. There’s also some smoking, a bare butt and a scene with shirtless octogenarians that you may want to turn your eyes away from. All those wrinkles and nowhere to hide them.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good film that should not be missed. (4 out of 5 Stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Michael Caine, Charlie Cox, Michael Gambon, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent, Francesca Annis
Directed by: James Marsh
Genre: Crime, Drama
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout
Running Time: 1 hr. 48 min.
Opening Date: January 25, 2019
Distributed by: Saban Films
Released in: Standard
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
