At what point of this wild existence do we get what we deserve, or what we need? Most times, it feels like the former. In a film that feels like a huge homage to crime thrillers of old, Heat, Thief, and the like, producer and writer-director Bart Layton lays it out for the characters in Crime 101. He tops it off with a fitting ending, more than the genre itself, leaving the audience with a sense of fulfillment for its career thief.
Adapted from Don Winslow’s novella of the same name, Layton puts all the cards out on the table almost instantly. Actor and producer Chris Hemsworth plays Mike Davis with a different style than in his usual roles. Davis is sort of a tough guy, unlike the bravado of Thor (from the Marvel Cinematic Universe) or Tyler Rake (from the Extraction series). The character is cold and calculating with each heist he’s pulled and lives by one innate rule: no one gets hurt, even if he is a career thief. It’s almost too good to be true. Yet, on the film’s opening heist, Davis makes one slight mistake that even he can’t predict.
Crime Thrillers of Old
While Crime 101 feels formulaic in nature, as most crime thrillers are anyway, the film still works in every necessary way. Perhaps the biggest legacy it seeks to touch is Michael Mann’s magnificent Heat. Arguably, the man (no pun intended) who laid the blueprint for, at a minimum, two genres of modern cinema (the crime thriller and serial killer horror/drama), Crime 101 tells its story very similarly to these other films within the genre.
However, the two leads here are much different from De Niro’s Neil McCauley and Pacino’s Vincent Hanna. Hemsworth gives a very reserved yet revealing performance as Davis. Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo plays the police detective, Lou Lubesnick, almost quietly bombastically. Not quite as in the audience’s face as Hanna, he will still stop at nothing to catch his mysterious thief. Having shared the silver screen many times over by now, Ruffalo and Hemsworth have a different, almost brand-new chemistry this time around. This makes the film work so well.
Mike Davis’s Role in Crime 101
Davis is too dedicated to taking scores. This is a career he’s been doing for quite some time. Lubesnick has been on his tail for what feels like the latter half of his career as well, much to the dissatisfaction of his teammates and superiors. Even after finally submitting the full case to his team, he’s not swayed from doing things the cowboy way. That is not to mention that his dedicated partner, Detective Tillman (Corey Hawkins), isn’t completely convinced. However, when trigger-happy Ormon (Barry Keoghan) throws a wrench in everything, the game begins changing for everyone. Davis also has a chance car accident with Maya (Monica Barbaro), which begins to upend his plans, as it tends to when the thief starts to fall in love.
The entire plot is pretty basic in nature and laid out gently from beat to beat. Yet, that’s not to say it doesn’t work; it does. Mike Davis is one of the most relatable thieves seen in cinema as of late. Again, it’s amplified by Hemsworth’s change in tone when playing a character of this nature.
When Is it Too Late?
This isn’t something someone like Davis can do forever, even if he does do things such as wearing color contacts during scores. Even with a near-perfect fence in Money (Nick Nolte), the game eventually becomes rigged against someone who wants to play most of it safely. Davis isn’t necessarily afraid of violence, but he grew up so traumatized that he would rather not bring that cycle of violence on his marks.
Besides, it’s usually easier to bring the gun-toting violence into the air and threaten to almost pull the trigger rather than be literally prepared to take the score at any cost, victims included. On the other hand, Ormon has no issue pulling that trigger, or at least impressing as a maniac who will. According to Money, Davis has lost his nerve, and therefore his brilliance for the game; he’d rather trust Ormon’s brutality. It all makes Crime 101 an even more interesting story.
Approaching the End
Insurance broker Sharon Coombs (Halle Berry) brings about Davis’s one last job. The continued intricacy of each character helps move the main story along and reinforces the idea of when it is too late to start over. Ideally, unless you’re pushing sixty-five, it’s never, right? After a “chance” encounter at a restaurant’s valet stand discussing the cars they drive, Davis begins to work Coombs, of which she isn’t particularly keen on, until she realizes her worth at her firm isn’t taken seriously anymore. The idea of an $11 million heist is almost too good to pass up for Davis, until Coombs gets attacked by Ormon. While this is by far Keoghan’s wildest character, he’s just plain annoying at times. By the end, it’s almost satisfying to see him get what he deserves, more than anyone else.
Finally, on his trail due to Coombs, Lubesnick begins to piece together each piece of Davis’s background and upbringing. They are unaware of their chance meeting in the third act during Davis’s final heist. Of course, Ormon interrupts everything, and the film’s ending is excitingly unexpected but seemingly works for the type of film Crime 101 becomes.
Technical Elements
One of the best things about the film’s dialogue is the references to the cinema of old. Davis and Lubesnick have a short conversation about Steve McQueen films. It doesn’t do anything to add to the film. However, it reinforces the tension of that particular scene. Moments like that are just too cool not to enjoy as they come about.
Layton’s direction is unusually sophisticated and calm. Director of photography Erik Wilson’s camera never seems to move unless it truly needs to. Meanwhile, editors Julian Hart & Jacob Secher Schulsinger move from scene to scene with ease. Several times, the characters run across each other, and the screen just slides into the next point of view without interruption. Further, music composer Blanck Mass’s score amplifies each scene, especially during the tension of every standoff within the film.
Final Thoughts on Crime 101
Also a reference to Los Angeles’ 101 freeway, Crime 101 is a worthy enough modern-day crime thriller. Due to the pairing of Hemsworth and Ruffalo once again, the film serves to remind audiences that maybe it truly isn’t ever too late to begin again. The film’s open ending leaves more to chew on. Davis seemingly pays his debts to Lubesnick and Maya in the end, even if he never got $11 million to go away with forever. Sometimes, we get what we deserve more than what we think we need.
Bart Layton’s Crime 101 is now playing in theatres everywhere!
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For wider context, pick up a copy of Don Winslow’s Broken novella collection, which contains the “Crime 101” novella via our Amazon Affiliates link here.
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