Given that this true-crime thriller, set in Belfast, is based on real-life events that occurred in 2004, it sounds like material that could have yielded a top-tier feature film—gripping and high-impact. However, the result feels lackluster and strikes an almost apologetic tone; it has been clumsily assembled and blandly directed by Colin McIvor, whose filmography—comprising TV work and low-budget comedies—reveals no particular aptitude for this genre. The two male leads, Eddie Marsan and Éanna Hardwicke, acquit themselves well, though one has to wonder why Marsan—undoubtedly a character actor of high repute—was chosen over a local actor. Was everyone else perhaps busy filming *Game of Thrones* spin-offs?
Marsan does a pretty good job nailing the Belfast accent; nevertheless, his presence feels somewhat understated, making him an odd choice for the role of Richard Murray—a buttoned-up bank manager forced to cooperate with the robbers when his wife, Celine (Eva Birthistle), is kidnapped. Murray must collaborate with one of the bank’s security guards, Barry (Hardwicke, who delivers the most dynamic performance), who also has a loved one being held hostage; together, they must pack millions in used banknotes and disguise them as trash to be collected just before Christmas.
Director: Colin McIvor
Writers: Aisling Corristine, Colin McIvor
Stars: Eddie Marsan, Éanna Hardwicke, Michelle Fairley
The robbers themselves form a rather nondescript and undifferentiated bunch, with the exception of one delightfully repulsive character (JB Moore) tasked with keeping an eye on Barry’s mother (Andrea Irvine). He is the sort of scoundrel who takes unusual pains to clean the toilet after using it in his hostage’s home—and not exactly in a way that suggests he is merely concerned about leaving fingerprints.
There is a faint suggestion that the robbers belong to the IRA—as, it seems, is often assumed nowadays; however, the Northern Irish conflict (*The Troubles*) appears here largely as a historical event that the characters view through the rearview mirror of their memories. This tension between Northern Ireland’s past and future constitutes, in itself, one of the rich narrative veins that the screenplay could have explored in greater depth—alongside a subplot concerning the pressure Murray faced from the bank’s owners to lay off half the staff just before the Christmas holidays.
This latter issue is of particular interest to the head of security, Mags (Michelle Fairley), who fears for her own future; however, this storyline is left unresolved and hanging in the air—a genuine waste of Fairley’s talent. Ultimately, one gets the sense that the filmmakers possessed neither the budget nor the vision necessary to make the material shine, resulting in a thoroughly unremarkable production.
*No Ordinary Heist* opens in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on March 27.
Comments
Post a Comment