‘Crime 101’ Gives Chris Hemsworth Room to Finally Shine [REVIEW]
3.5/5 jewelry store heists
In Crime 101, life is about the money, and the streets of LA offer both danger and sanctity. Bart Layton’s sprawling thriller takes you on those streets and in those lives, intersecting three stories in a complicated, wonderfully done tale not unlike a class film noir.
Hemsworth stars as Mike Davis, a thief we see currently casing out a jewelry store in prep of a drop. Right behind him is Detective Lou Lubesnick (Ruffalo). Lou is convinced that there is only one thief behind a string of robberies that span Route 101. Despite the pushback from his superiors, who simply just want the robberies investigated and closed, Lou follows the same well-worn path of ever noir detective: He is going to solve it, even if he has to do it on his own.
Joining Mike and Lou is Sharon Coombs (Berry), who is an executive in a high-end insurance company. Sharon is clearly excellent at her job, and was once the crown jewel of the company, but the men in charge keep pushing off her promised promotion year after year. As we see in a scene where she is trying to sell insurance to a wealthy homeowner, it isn’t her methods that are bad: It is, simply, because she is not as young as she used to be.
This would make any woman rightfully bitter. But Sharon keeps at it, much like Lou, who is also aging out of the job. This is her work, and she knows she is a better insurance broker than most of the men in the room. But, sadly, this ageist and sexist reality is one far too common, and Sharon grows disillusioned with her workplace, bitter about how easy they can push her aside simply because she’s 53.
Playing it safe isn’t always playing it smart
Though Sharon and Lou feel the nerve-pinch of time, Mike is getting the worst of it. His fence, an unnamed man played by Nick Nolte, has subcontracted Ormon (Barry Keoghan), an unpredictably violent biker, to take on the work that Mike no longer feels comfortable doing. Ormon’s deal is a mystery, and though he may be willing to take on the work, his impatience and temper are not well-suited to more delicate situations.
With minimal dialogue and a shock of bleached-blond hair, Keoghan gives the film its edge, elevating it from a simple noir into the high-octane thriller we see as the story progresses. The cinematography helps, too: Erik Wilson romanticizes LA the way it should be, with all of its glamour in bright neon relief against the night sky.
Hemsworth shows us what he’s capable of
Adapted from a Don Winslow novella, Crime 101 basically demands your full, undivided attention for its ambitious 140 minute runtime. In moments where the plot may grow too thin, there is certainly no shortage of some fast cars and faster motorcycles. It’s the kind of crowd-pleasing Hollywood action that will make casual February theatergoers pleased with their decision.
Hemsworth especially is finally given his moment to really prove himself. Opposite a powerhouse like Ruffalo, scene-stealing isn’t easy. Their previous Marvel work notwithstanding (Thor and Bruce Banner did not exactly get the opportunity to ever give us anything truly meaty), their work together onscreen in Crime 101 is captivating. Hemsworth plays Mike as tired and stoic, but still with an ounce of that surety that certainly got him into this line of work in the first place.
The ending feels a little too tidy, but if that is the price to pay, then it is one that could be worst. Berry, Hemsworth, and Ruffalo are a tour de force together as their stories converge, and Keoghan matches them bar-for-bar, though unfortunately with not enough screentime.
Crime 101 is an LA love story with the black-and-white edges of a noir. Though it would have benefited from a meatier ending, it does what it set out to do.
(Featured image: Merrick Morton)
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