King of Thieves
(2018)One high security vault. Millions up for grabs. One hell of a retirement fund.
Two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine leads a crew of retired crooks that pulls off a major heist in London's jewelry district. Based on the true story of the 2015 London diamond heist, which made international news when it was found to have been committed by a misfit gang of retirees and pensioners.
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Directed by James Marsh ('The Theory of Everything', 'Shadow Dancer', 'Wisconsin Death Trip')
Starring Michael Caine, Charlie Cox, Kellie Shirley, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Ray Winstone, Francesca Annis
Written by Joe Penhall
Flicks Review
BY Matt Glasby Flicks Writer
It may not have made waves internationally, but the Hatton Garden Robbery of 2015—in which a bunch of London pensioners pulled off the largest burglary in UK history—was, to paraphrase a certain newsreader, kind of a big deal in England.... More
It’s already been the subject of two (not especially good) films, but with James Marsh (Man on Wire) directing, and a cast including Michael Caine, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent and Tom Courtenay, King of Thieves is the one that threatens to blow the bloody doors off.
It begins with a brisk intro to career criminal Brian Reader (Caine) and his gang of ageing geezers. When electronics expert Basil (Charlie Cox) suggests robbing a central London safety-deposit facility, they don’t take much persuading. It’s a daring plan that involves sneaking in over Easter weekend then drilling into the vault without getting caught—or, in the case of the larger gentlemen, stuck.
Unusually for a film that feints towards the caper movie (“So that’s how they see us, is it? The Lavender Hill Mob?” huffs Caine), the robbery itself is disappointingly perfunctory. Joe Penhall’s script offers some decent gags (“Why am I doing the dangerous bits?” asks Winstone. “You’re the youngest,” deadpans Cox), but never gets the pulse racing.
In the aftermath, things go predictably—if not rapidly—south, both for the gang and the viewer. By cutting away to clips of the cast’s earlier movies, Marsh seems to be mourning the passing of their glory days, but why? Though the actors do their best, their characters are neither compelling nor especially convincing, and they deserve everything they get. Indeed, the greatest mystery is how, with so much talent onboard, the crime of the century became a movie of the week.Hide
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King of Thieves
The Press Reviews
King of Thieves really should have delivered way more cinematic swag than it does. Full Review
This is a risky device, but it works, the postmodern playfulness sending an implicit message: it's OK to like Caine and company, but be repelled by the men they're playing. Full Review
Torn between jaunty genre hijinks and a bleaker streak of realism, it's a strangely stiff, lethargic account of a cracking tale. Full Review
Some tough sentences and stern words from the bench are in order for everyone involved. Full Review
There's more than enough acrid chatter among the thieves to keep us entertained. Full Review
An old-school film about an old-school crime that brings together an impressive array of British legends. Solid, but sadly the results don't exactly blow the bloody doors off. Full Review
Misses its opportunities to say more about men in crisis. Full Review
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