This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Bus 657
Plot Overview
“Heist” opens in medias res on a nighttime cityscape, then comes down on the roof of a bus turning on a deserted street. A chick is waiting on a bench. She boards the bus—signboard reads common…—and fiddles with her fare as the film crosscuts to some desperados fleeing on foot with bags loaded. The woman is pregnant. The men commandeer the bus. The movie cuts to ONE WEEK EARLIER.
A mob-style interrogation of a couple losers is not going well for them. They stole $10,000 from Swan Casino owner Pope (Robert De Niro) who needs to make an example of them (“This is about principle.”) Pope, though, puts up a respectable front, showing off card tricks and trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter Sydney (Kate Bosworth.) His floating casino launders money for a Chinese mob.
Swan employee, military vet, Luke Vaughn (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) needs money for his daughter's operation. He begs the hospital to “give me till the end of the week.” He asks Pope for a “big ($300,000) favor” and gets fired for his trouble. Disgruntled employee Cox (Dave Batista) comes to him with a plan needing Vaughn for the vault codes tomorrow night. At 4:00 a.m. police Officer Kris Bajos (Gina Carano) is cruising on a slow night when she witnesses a “possible hostage situation” on Bus 657. She calls it in (“Copy that”) and what follows is a mad chase with several competing interests, the bus crossing the line to Welcome to Texas. Drive friendly the Texas way. with $3 million in mob money Pope can't afford to let the police find.
Ideology
In Timothy Corrigan's guide to writing about film (ch. 4), he gives six approaches, one being ideology that he breaks down into several schools. I'm going to use the biblical parallels method, having noticed similarities with the movie under review, "."
Psalm 127 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Psalm 127 tells of a man who's got two jobs; he's a carpenter by day and works as a watchman at night. It's interfering with his sleep and his family life. The psalmist questions what he's doing, that without God's blessing he's not getting anywhere, and his priorities should include his family more, and having children.
Pope is that man. He's got a legit casino to run on the Swan riverboat, and he's got the illicit money laundering scheme to oversee as well. He worries he'll get the late night phone call. His daughter Sydney doesn't want his money. She tells him, “Love is built on sacrifice, not dollars.” On the opposite part are people who rate family high: the mother who is glad to get her runaway daughter off the bus, the pregnant woman who comforts the child, the man who acts heroically to provide his daughter's operation, the police officer who put the civilians' safety above her orders.
The most telling parallel concerns, (Psalm 127:5) “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them, they shall not be ashamed: but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” The gate was the location in a town where all negotiations took place. People who are concerned with children acquire a boldness in negotiating on their behalf. We see that in spades in this movie.
Production Values
This movie “” (2015) was directed by Scott Mann. Its screenplay was written by Stephen Cyrus Sepher and Max Adams. It stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista, and Robert De Niro. De Niro gives a subdued performance despite his multiple layered character. Kate Bosworth's part is minor. Mixed martial artist Gina Carano shows up speaking softly but carrying a big stick, so to speak. She and Mark-Paul Gosselaar do a good job on their parts, balancing the cast.
MPAA rated “Heist” R for violence, pervasive language and some sexual content. It was filmed largely in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It's 93 minutes long, gets better as it goes along, and has a Hollywood style ending that most people will enjoy, though it strains credulity. Cinematography is good, soundtrack good, acting good, too. Where it excels is its ability to keep you thrilled and guessing. Its biggest assets, though, are the actors who come across believable, their characters easy to relate to. The relatively simple premise is easy to follow along with minus any untidy complexities.
Review Conclusion w/ Christian Recommendation
I enjoyed “Heist” for its drama and thrill factor, though it lacked the intricacies that challenge one's mind on the usual mental caper. This one does, however, manage to be clever in a magician's kind of way. If you don't mind that De Niro isn't as intense as usual, it's the kind of movie enjoyable in a matinee.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Edge of your seat action-packed. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Video Occasion: Better than watching TV. Special effects: Well done special effects. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall product rating: Four stars out of five.
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