IR Film Review: CRIME 101 [Amazon MGM]

The intention of "Crime 101" is a 2020s form of a Los Angeles crime story but on a baseline level. With a great cast it follows a character based cross-section that we used to see a lot more but mostly has been relegated to TV and smaller actors simply because the medium has evolved. That said it is great seeing these bigger actors doing this kind of crime thriller set in Los Angeles like a modern film noir. One can tell Chris Hemsworth likes this style of movie but probably doesn't get as much of a chance as likely sometimes being Thor can limit the possibilities outside the core. That said, like Tom Hardy but with a little more accessibility, he finds the balance in this character. Director Bart Layton finds a way to brings a lot of old school cast together as well which is a unique approach. Amazon MGM Studios is making some interesting films right now but it depends how successful they are to see if they will make more of them in this style and give them a theatrical berth. Mark Ruffalo, so good in "Task", has a little less angst here but it brings to mind, in a good way, a film like "Zodiac" that he made many years ago.

Halle Berry has less to do but it is good to see her in a film like this, albeit it is an interesting companion piece to "Swordfish" in a way. The role she plays is tailored and speaks to her and yet is not as powerful as one would like, but that just might be how the character was in the book. The best scenes of the film involve Hemsworth trying to hide and yet be present for Monica Barbaro as a would-be romantic interest. The meet cute set up is a little far fetched but is what it is. Barry Keoghan, who always plays some misaligned but complex characters, plays Ormon, a petty thief with a temper problem but the motivation is less than pronounced which is too bad since Keoghan is always very specific to watch, if he is given enough to do. "Banshees" is a perfect example where he had limited screentime and yet it set so much. Here he gets a little lost in the mix though his character is the special crux point. Nick Nolte plays an old time crime guy. He likely needed the part and his gravitas is wavering a bit now since he seems a little more feeble (he is in his late 80s it seems). But this is a much different performance than "Die My Love" where his scenes with Jennifer Lawrence were heartbreaking because one couldn't tell how much was acting. Nolte's character obviously is an important touchstone for Hemsworth as an actor and one can tell how much reverence he puts into the one scene per se they have together.

The 101 is not so much a learning metaphor (though that is part of it) but refers to the location base of how Hemsworth's Davis picks his marks for robbery. Ruffalo is the detective on his case per se, but he is now a bit over the hill, just trying to keep above water...and his department is more about quotas, not about working the long game. Times change for everyone. Ruffalo knows this inwards and out and because of this has been able to transition beyond those elements of The Hulk. But as the film moves through its baseline and tightens the noose, it becomes an paced waiting game as we see how the last run goes but the preciseness and empathy of how, especially in one car scene, Ruffalo and Hemsworth work back and forth is great, but the reason it is so good is because of the shared history of what their characters have done in the MCU. It is an interesting transmutation because it makes this work better, because the roles are different enough that it allows itself in a different universe to breath and yet have mythological implications (if you let it). The car chases and the integration of locations in the Los Angeles area, including The Beverly Wilshire (where this reviewer has done many a junket) really give a feel to the city for those who know it. Author Don Winslow who wrote the book gets this (like Michael Connelly) and he has a couple more book adaptations in the pipeline, one of which Austin Butler is attached to. "Crime 101" is a cool throwback, novelistic in its approach because it lets todays bigger stars, mostly superhero based, to show a different aspect of their star presence in a type of film that is not made for theaters much anymore. B+

By Tim Wassberg