The Bank (2001 film)

The Bank is a 2001 Australian thriller/drama film directed by Robert Connolly and starring David Wenham and Anthony LaPaglia.

The Bank
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Connolly
Produced byJohn Maynard
Written byRobert Connolly
StarringDavid Wenham
Anthony LaPaglia
Sibylla Budd
Steve Rodgers
Mitchell Butel
Mandy McElhinney
Greg Stone
Kazuhiro Muroyama
Music byAlan John
CinematographyTristan Milani
Edited byNick Meyers
Distributed byMadman Entertainment[1]
Release date
  • 6 September 2001 (2001-09-06)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Synopsis

Jim Doyle (David Wenham) is a maverick mathematician who has devised a formula to predict the fluctuations of the stock market. When he joins O'Reilly's fold, he must first prove his loyalty to the "greed is good" ethos.

Plot

[This section is a rough translation from German. It has been generated by a computer. Please help to enhance the translation. It is from the German-language article that is under "Deutsch" in the "languages" sidebar.]

The CEO of a bank, Simon O'Reily (Anthony LaPaglia), becomes aware of the mathematician Jim Doyle (David Wenham), whose software makes it possible to predict stock market trends. Doyle is hired by O'Reily and supplied with the best computer hardware. He enters into a relationship with his colleague Michelle Roberts, who views O'Reily's business activities critically.

Meanwhile, the couple Diane and Wayne Davis, who took out a loan in a foreign currency at the bank, become insolvent. The son of the couple is found dead after a meeting with the deliverer of the eviction notice. The Davises sue the bank on the grounds that they were not informed about the risks of a loan in foreign currency. O'Reily demands a proof of loyalty from Doyle, requiring Doyle to falsely state in court that he was present as an intern in the bank's loan counseling of the Davises and that Wayne Davis was sufficiently informed. That causes the Davises to lose their lawsuit.

Doyle informs his boss that a stock market crash would soon occur. Roberts finds out in Doyle's hometown that his real name is not Jim Doyle; the bank had terminated his father's credit, whereupon his father committed suicide. A man who watches Roberts on behalf of O'Reily learns the truth and warns O'Reily. O'Reily wants to stop the bank's stock sale, but right now Wayne Davis breaks into O'Reily's house to shoot him. O'Reily offers him two million dollars if Davis allows him to make a phone call. Davis realizes that it should be a very important call for the bank; He destroys the house's power-box to stop this important phone-call, which is intended to warn the bank of Doyle's plans, and leaves the estate.

Stock prices initially perform as expected, but then they rise instead of falling. The bank goes bankrupt after losing $50 billion. Doyle leaves the country. He asks Roberts to come after him before departure, which she refuses.

The married couple Davis bring an account statement at an ATM, on the unexpected $727,000 credits - a reference to the opening credits - are. They want to clarify the matter in the neighboring bank branch, but this is one of the numerous branches, which were closed by order of O'Reily. They decide to keep the money.

Cast

Reception

The Bank grossed $2,515,917 at the box office in Australia.[2]

Reviews of the film were mixed. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes scored The Bank at 65% from 36 professional reviews (average rating 5.8/10), but 45% from 11 "top critic" reviews (average rating 5.5/10). Australian film review site Urban Cinefile's three reviewers summarized the film as "favourable".[3] The New York Times concluded "As far-fetched as the movie is ... conveys an engaging zest for upper-crust mischief. The two stories come together in the hurtling final lap as Wayne confronts Simon in his country house while Jim puts his perfected program into operation. The upshot is a whopper of an ending that is as silly as it is satisfying."[4] The New York Post gave the film 1.5/4 stars, stating "Despite a crafty premise and a clever kink in the tale that almost saves it, Connolly isn't dexterous enough to achieve the Hitchockian level of suspense the movie needs." [5] The Los Angeles Times stated "Connolly might well have constructed a brisker, more exciting picture with more vivid and involving characters. As it is, the film takes too long to become truly compelling."[6]

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References
  1. "Bank, the". Madman.com.au. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  2. "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" (PDF). Film Victoria. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  3. Urban, Andrew L.; Keller, Louise; Kuipers, Richard. "Bank, The". Urban Cinefile. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  4. Holden, Stephen (25 October 2002). "FILM IN REVIEW; 'The Bank'". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  5. Turne, Megan (25 October 2002). "The Bank". New York Post. News Corporation.
  6. Thomas, Kevin (3 January 2003). "'The Bank' has the chops, not the sizzle". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 9 February 2003. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
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