Den of Thieves

Den of Thieves

Starring Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Curtis Jackson

Directed by Christian Gudegast

The Story:
Los Angeles is the bank robbing capital of the world, having a bank robbery happen pretty much every ten minutes or so.  A gang of extremely intelligent and tactical robbers led by Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber) succeed in robbing and stealing an armored truck, but in the process engage in a deadly shootout with police.

The next morning, Los Angeles sheriff Nick O'Brien (Gerard Butler) and his team - who he calls Regulators - arrive on the scene and deduce it's Merrimen and his men responsible, and they track down getaway driver Donnie (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) and torture him until he tells them what he knows.

Merrimen is planning a major heist at the Federal Reserve Bank, the only bank in Los Angeles to never get robbed due to its insane security procedures.  If they could pull this off, they'll be millionaires - but Nick and his men are hot on their heels, making the nearly impossible task even more impossible.

The Synopsis:
The bank heist subgenre has been done over and over again - "Heist," "Inside Man," "The Town," "The Bank Job," "Takers" - and most involve the same generic structure: a gang of ruthless bank robbers desire to make one huge heist on a seemingly impossible location while the cops stop at nothing to make sure it doesn't happen.  Sure, there's sometimes twists and turns that make it more exciting, but in its bare bones, it's pretty simplistic.

That's why I was worried about "Den of Thieves" - because the film is a staggering two hours and twenty minutes.  That's a long time to keep your attention when you can already predict the outcome.  However, with the exception of a few needless scenes, the film functions as a well-oiled machine where you think you know what's happening, but then something shocking happens that makes you re-evaluate what you've already seen and add a deeper sense of intelligence to an otherwise straightforward outing.

Here, first-time director Christian Gudegast (who also wrote the script) introduces us to two polar opposites - cops and robbers - in a way that's extremely different.  Here, the robbers operate by a strict code of conduct (they never hurt civilians, they only shoot when in danger, and genuinely feel bad about it), while the cops are not your typical Keystone Cops - they don't operate within the norms of law to find the information they require, resorting to violence, kidnapping, and torture to get the information they desire.  You almost root for the robbers here, because they're a much more charismatic and surprisingly lovable (although they are cop killers) than the cops.

Gerard Butler plays Nick - also known as "Big Nick" - who's the corrupt sheriff and leader of the Regulators.  He's a gruff man, chain smoker, filled with curse words and sleeps with strippers even though he's married with two young daughters.  He plays the role of sleazy anti-hero well, sometimes a bit over the top.  He really makes you hate him, from his rough demeanor and his no-nonsense attitude.

On the other side of the coin is Pablo Schreiber, who plays the bank crew's leader Merrimen.  He's filled with charisma, and an excellent tactician - something he learned from being a former marine.  He never goes into a robbery without fully understanding the situation and calculating every possible scenario, making sure no one goes in half cocked and ready to kill for the sake of killing.  Whereas Butler's Nick is impulsive and grating, Merrimen is calculated and calm.  Typically, these roles are reversed in a film like this, but here it adds a special depth to an otherwise easily forgettable film.

Caught between sides is O'Shea Jackson Jr.'s Donnie, a getaway driver who also works as a bartender.  His stock has risen incredibly since his premiere on the big screen as Ice Cube (his real life father) in the extraordinary biopic "Straight Outta Compton," and here he steals the show as the level-headed man in the middle.  His performance is captivating and layered, as he faces backlash from his crew after encountering O'Brien's men and the enduring torture he received at their hands.  His is the character that's most well-rounded and intriguing, compelling and provoking.

Ultimately, what sets this film apart is the special twist Gudegast includes, which sends the film to deeper levels than what you'd expect to see on the surface, making the extraordinarily long running time worth it in the end.

The Summary:
Despite boasting a surprisingly long runtime for a film of its genre, "Den of Thieves" is benefited by a layered plot, great actors, and personality reversals you don't typically see in a cops and robbers film.

The Score: A-