Everyone loves to cheer for a thief with a heart of gold, especially one that gives to the poor. That doesn't happen here, so don't get your hopes up. Despite that, Halle Berry, Chris Hemsworth, and Mark Ruffalo in a crime thriller is an interesting way to get me seated in a theater. How can I miss Thor and Hulk in a movie where Storm and Catwoman are twins? Crime 101 is written and directed by Bart Layton, who I can admit I was unfamiliar with before. It's based on a novella by Don Winsolow, of the same name.
The plot centers around Mark, an odd man who is obsessed with his grooming habits, and also robs couriers. Jewels, cash, watches and likely plenty of other valuables. Mark never leaves evidence behind and his work has begun to make the headlines. This frustrates Detective Lou Lubesnick who has been tracking his crimes. Lou is having a hard time, beyond just this case. He has the worst clearance rate in the station, his boss wants him gone or pinning crimes on people. Despite that, Lou is the kind of police officer they make films about, dedicated to solving crimes, not wealthy people.
While investigating a recent robbery, Lou crosses with Sharon, an insurance broker. Sharon is 53 and has been repeatedly been misled about becoming a partner at her firm, despite her great work. "What a tangled web we weave," is the saying that comes to mind because the web gets tangled here. The paths of these three cross back and forth. That's before we include Ormon who I can only describe as insane. He's trying to take Mike's jobs because Mike stood up the fence the two shared.
I'm not big on heist films, especially ones with limited action. Despite that, I really enjoyed it. I knew Halle Berry and Mark Ruffalo would knock it out of the park. I do have to apologize to Chris Hemsworth, because I was unfamiliar with your game. I didn't think he had this kind of performance in him. Mark is a character that goes out of his way to have nothing. No past, no friends, family or even favorite songs. He's basically a blank slate, but Hemsworth pulls it off. There's a clear distinction between Mark the confident crook that knows how to manipulate people and the man who can't seem to actually understand the world around him.
Crime 101 does a lot of small things to give the same feeling that older crime films and detective noir would give upon the first watch. Add in references to classic films such as the works of Steve McQueen. A police officer and a thief that respect each other, reminding me of Heat. It's not Heat, but it's the kind of film that is so good, it makes me want to watch Heat because that is the first comparison that comes to my mind. Is it perfect? No, none of th stories with the side characters got tied up. Is this a film that I'm going to watch again? Absolutely.
Darrell is an author and YouTube Historian. You can check out more of his work here.
