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The Bank (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:35
Fresh:21
Rotten:14
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: This thriller puts an intriguing premise to good use.
Theatrical Release:Oct 25, 2002 Limited
Synopsis: THE BANK is a thriller about banking, corruption and alchemy. Jim Doyle is a maths genius working in the far reaches of fractal theory, searching for a formula that can predict future stock... THE BANK is a thriller about banking, corruption and alchemy. Jim Doyle is a maths genius working in the far reaches of fractal theory, searching for a formula that can predict future stock market crashes. The potential in Jim’s software fires the imagination and greed of Simon O’Reilly, the CEO of Centabank. O’Reilly’s freewheeling management style and negative performance are under attack by the Board of Centabank. He’s looking for the magic bullet to save his skin. Offering Jim access to mainframe computers, O’Reilly lures Jim to work for Centabank. With endless money and resources to play with, Jim perfects his theory. O’Reilly and the bank’s Board of Directors fall under the spell of his system and the wealth it could bring. In this slick corporate world, Jim is drawn to Michelle, a rising Centabank executive. Of all the bank’s problems, none is greater than Centabank’s exposure to massive foreign currency loans. A couple of battlers, Wayne and Diane, have their houseboat operation, funded by an offshore loan, foreclosed by Centabank. With help from a young legal aid lawyer, they take action. Fearing victory will trigger a class action that could ruin Centabank, O’Reilly sanctions a dirty tricks campaign. In this reckless environment, O’Reilly throws all caution aside and bets the bank and his own future on Jim’s genius. In Centabank’s bowels, Jim uses state-of-the-art hardware to fine-tune his program. His work will predict the exact point of the coming market crash. Jim assures Simon it’s foolproof and promises total market domination by Centabank in a single day. But as the stakes mount, mistrust multiplies. While Michelle digs into the archives to find more about Jim’s past, Wayne his personal vendetta against Centabank and Simon O’Reilly. Who is Jim Doyle, and why is he suddenly running the biggest banking scam in decades? The triple witching hour – on October 25 - will trigger the biggest stock market crash ever. At the critical moment, Jim launches his ballistic disc and takes Centabank’s future in his hands. -- © 2001 Arenafilm [More]
Starring: Anthony LaPaglia, David Wenham, Mitchell Butel
Starring: Anthony LaPaglia, David Wenham, Mitchell Butel
Director: Robert Connolly
Director: Robert Connolly
Producer: John Maynard
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Reviews for The Bank
LaPaglia firmly anchors a slick, cynical thriller that relies too much on twists, computer screens and zap graphics.
Like the film itself, Jim Doyle is smart enough to be engaging and lovely to look at, but he's too one-dimensional to be satisfying.
The film looks better than it sounds because of script oddities that don't work.
As it is, the film takes too long to become truly compelling. It could have benefited from a shot of good old Hollywood pizazz.
The Bank may be more approachable than Pi, but it's not more highly recommended
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.
When a parallel subplot about bereaved parents suing the bank in question finally intersects with the main action, the film trades its last shreds of credibility for nonsensical melodrama.
Junk science, plot holes and an ending you can see coming from a long way away spoil the potential and leave the film sitting firmly in 'weekly rental' territory.
It looks to be something less than the sum of its quite interesting parts.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
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