DEN OF THIEVES
2018, 140 minutes, Colour.
Gerard Butler, Jordan Bridges, Pablo Schreiber, Evan Jones, O' Shea Jackson Jr, .50 Cent Jackson, Eric Braeden.
Directed by Christian Gudegast.
While ‘den of thieves’ is a scriptural phrase and Jesus is the one to clear them out of the temple, it is a bit of a stretch to see the special squad of the LA sheriff’s department, scruffy, tough, burly and brutal, as the equivalent of Jesus!
We are informed at the opening that LA is the bank robbery capital of the world, a robbery happening every 48 minutes. Whether they are like the robberies in this film is another matter.
For two hours twenty minutes, the audience is immersed in the world of the robbers as well as the world of the special squad. And, in its way, it is very interesting. However, with the proliferation of guns, the seemingly indiscriminate firing of the machine guns during robberies, it is not quite an advertisement for anyone to go to live in LA. (A reviewer remarked: the National Rifle Association’s film of the year!)
The film opens with a robbery just before dawn, a security truck stolen by a group of masked men outside a doughnut shop. The police arrive as do the FBI and shots are fired, a policeman killed. And there are clashes between the tough leader of the squad, Nick O’Brien? (Gerard Butler) and the neatly-suited vegan leader of the FBI.
As the film progresses, we get to know the squad, Nick, a big tough man (though there are some domestic scenes where he is shown not to be able to handle his family situation well at all even in being shown weeping as he sat in his car), the various loyal members of the group and their methods.
And, as the film progresses, we get to know the thieves, highly organised and their den, an old warehouse, the group with expertise in mechanics, communications and Internet, surveillance techniques. They are led by Merriman (Pablo Schreiber), a former footballer and military man. His group have quite a diverse ethnic representation, African-American?, Hispanic, Anglo, Hawaiian.
Nick makes a connection with their getaway driver, Donnie (O’ Shea Jackson, who more than resembles his father, Ice Cube, whom he played in Straight Outta Compton). Donnie defends himself and is seen as an ace risk-taking driver. Nick also accosts Donnie when he is out at a restaurant with the whole group, Nick identifying Merriman as the past footballer.
Which leads up to the plan for the den of thieves to rob the Federal Reserve. How they plan to do it is part of the interest and entertainment of this film. In preparation, there is a robbery at a local bank and the taking of hostages, once again Nick and his squad arriving as well as the FBI who want to take over and have a negotiator which the thieves have explicitly forbidden.
But, this is a decoy and it is Nick who discovers what is really happening. And, the scenes of the Federal Reserve, are shown in some detail. It is all rather smart, especially the way that Donnie is employed on the staff of the Reserve diner, enabling him, however, to participate in the robbery.
Enthusiasts of this genre have all referred to the Robert De Niro- Al Pacino thriller by Michael Mann, Heat. However, most of the audience will not quite remember the detail of Heat and take this film on its own merits, written and directed by Christian Gudegast (son of Eric Braeden who has a guest appearance).
(For some years this reviewer has been advocating Gerard Butler full-screen versions of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher – Tom Cruise did all right, but Butler looks and sounds the real thing!)
And, most of the audience will surely not have guessed the final twist - something to look forward to.
1. Thieves, bank robberies, special squads, the LA sheriff’s department?
2. Los Angeles, the initial information about bank robberies, the capital of the world, nine per day?
3. Los Angeles, the vistas, aerial views, streets, buildings, banks, musical score?
4. Action, stunt work? Editing and pace?
5. The first robbery, the tone, early in the morning, the Doughnut Centre? The masked men, the police arriving, the confrontation, the shooting, the stealing of the man? The arrival of the FBI? The sheriff’s group? Clashes? The head of the FBI clashing with Nick O’ Brien?
6. Nick O’ Brien, the squad, tough, look, attitude? Behaviour, belonging to the law? His squad, their personalities, loyalty, working as a group? The detective work, leads? The collaboration, the information?
7. Donnie, working in the bar, the driver? The interview with Nick? Donnie and his nonchalance? The interrogation, the violence? The information given? The flashbacks and his role?
8. Merriman, in himself, the leader, the others in the group, personalities, the range of ethnic backgrounds, black, Hispanic, Anglo, Hawaiian? Merriman as leader, ruthless, commanding? Skills, plans, technology? Becoming cop killers? At work in their centre, ambitions?
9. The group at the diner, Donnie there, Nick and his talking, the excuse of the gym? Donnie and his explanations?
10. The plan to rob the Federal Bank? The amount of cash? Never done before? Donnie as the driver, but getting the job at the Bank, working in the diner, his label, easy access? Nick, going to the club, the stripper, the night with her, the information – and her telling Merriman that she had given him the information?
11. The Paco Rivera bank, small-scale? The thieves arriving, taking control, the manager, the phone calls, the amount to be deposited? The opening of the vault? Nick and the police outside? The FBI? Holding back? The issue hostages? The irony of the escape route? Nick going in, following through?
12. The truck, going to the Federal Reserve? Merriman and Levi in the truck? The various jobs for the other members of the group? Surveillance, power outages? Donnie at the diner? Phone communication? The route?
13. The truck, the drivers and their plausibility, getting into the building? The variety of security guards and their manner? Donnie getting through the hatches? The robbery, taking of the money? His going back through security, the call, the pursuit? Nick taking him, the handcuffs, his escape?
14. The van, the other members of the gang, the pursuit, cars and trucks, the garbage truck? Going to the salvage area? Donnie giving the information? The freeway, blocked, the buildup to the shootout? The irony of the pulped paper? The missing cash?
15. Nick’s personal story, his wife, kids, his arriving home, his wife’s exasperation, taking the kids? His depression, going to the strip club? Night with the stripper, her information? Confronting his wife, the boyfriend?
16. The contrast between the scruffy sheriff’s group and their violent tactics, self-assurance? With the FBI, the vegan head, dignity?
17. The aftermath, the background of the football, Nick using the recognition of Merriman? Seeing the photo, Donnie in the centre?
18. The switch to London, Donnie at the bar, near the diamond exchange – and Donnie as the brains of the whole operation? Merriman wanting the role and the others assuming
he was the leader? Donnie with the money?
19. Violent Los Angeles, criminals and masterminds, police squads and the law and breaking the limits of the law?
