CRIME 101 starring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo

 
This week I'm reviewing a couple of new releases that I saw in the theater.  First let's talk about CRIME 101, starring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo.

The Sales Pitch:

He’s about to break every rule he’s ever lived by. Crime101 now, starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry. See the movie only in theaters February 13. 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.

First thing I wanna say is this movie was beautifully shot.  

CRIME 101 takes place in Los Angeles, a setting we have obviously seen a thousand times, and yet at times when shots of the skyline, aerial shots and city scenes are on the screen, I was just mesmerized.  

Director Bart Layton and his team somehow capture very unique shots of what should be a familiar place. 

The car chases in CRIME 101 are pretty good too.  Chris Hemsworth's character is a great driver who plans for everything, but when the unexpected happens, he kind of loses his shit.  And the car chases at these times feel like a man driving like his heart is gonna burst out of his chest, even when no one is chasing him.

Great cast of stars and supporting characters: Halle Berry is phenomenal.  Hemsworth is surprisingly good. Nick Nolte's RFKesque gravel-mouthed voice delivers as Hemsworth's shady handler, and Barry Keoghan (Druig from Eternals) goes hard as a batshit crazy rival of Hemsworth’s thoughtful thief with a heart of gold.  Even the black detective partner to Ruffalo’s character and Hemsworth's love interest were great.

CRIME 101 works because instead of making the robbery and investigations super complex, they devoted the narrative energy to developing the humanity of every character and making sure all the scenes look amazing.  All the main characters are likeable, so when they are put through the wringer, you're rooting for them.

In the end, this movie delivers on emotion with life and death stakes where you want all the characters to win, but you know that isn't possible. 

RECOMMENDED.

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-Samax