Braquage à New York

I understand why some people did not like this very good film - it is slower, and it is not The Matrix, or Konstantin. This is a very good work, and yes, Keanu's character is a bit slow, silent and detached - but here is what he is like. His role is balanced perfectly by fiery and very funny James Caan who did a very, very excellent job. His part of a con-man is a great plus, and his part is almost The best in here. Vera Farmiga is another great plus of the movie, her part of a Russian theater actress is very cool, too. She does a perfect Diva here, and does it extremely convincing way. Well, yes, the movie is not a fast and furious action one, but this was not the intent. The very theater style of the film is obvious, and the nice link to the Chekhov's play is a warm heart-thawing welcome for all Russian viewers. Keanu is a very good Lopakhin and Vera is a very sweet Ranevskaya. And then, yeah, here is excellent Peter Stormare as a choleric and very short-tempered theater director with all his idiosyncrasies and craze. Casting was done very well, and this stellar ensemble of actors is a mighty element for the great movie.

Yep, this is a fun movie with great actors acting as actors. Henry (Keanu Reeves), a tollbooth worker in Buffalo is falsely convicted of a bank robbery. While in prison he meets a lifer (James Caan) and learns about life and having a dream. Once released from prison Henry hatches a plan of his own. Why not rob the bank that he was already sent to prison for?

Little did he think that love (Vera Farmiga,) greed (Fisher Stevens,) and fate may change his objective?

The acting is good. The pacing is good. The only annoying thing was the loud irritating irrelevant background music if you can call it that.

Unfortunately, there is no end, so if you want one, do not start this movie.

Henry's Crime from 2010 was a nice surprise.

The film stars Keanu Reeves as Henry, a man who seems to go through life like a sleepwalker. When his friends ask him to fill in at a baseball game for their sick friend, Henry goes along.

When ALL of them go to the ATM at the bank and ask him to wait outside, Henry goes along. And then he goes along to prison after the bank is robbed, taking the fall for his friends.

While in prison, Henry meets Max (James Caan), a confidence man who loves prison and botches his parole hearings every time. Max's philosophy is, to find a purpose, you have to have a dream. Apparently his is to stay in prison.

Once released, Henry, who at this point has no life, decides that since he was accused of robbing the bank and didn't, he's going to rob it now. He discovers that a long-ago tunnel into the bank still exists from the theater next door. It means talking Max into getting parole. And it also means getting a role in "The Cherry Orchard."

A top cast that includes Vera Farmiga and Peter Stomare, who gives a hilarious turn as the director of the Chekov play, really liven up this film. It's an intriguing if improbable plot; they make it fun.

Reeves to me isn't much of an actor, but he pulls off Henry just fine. I'm not sure what his secret is, but he always seems to look the same age.

Farmiga as the actress anxious to get out of town is excellent, and Caan is terrific. Fisher Stevens is on hand as one of Henry's robbery "friends," who turns up again.

This is a little gem that apparently only played in 8 U. S. theaters.

Time Out described it as a "Quiet Triumph" and I tend to agree. It's not the best movie ever made but is clever, multi-layered (stories within stories within...) and an interesting, often tongue in cheek, look at acting as a process. It is enjoyable, although slightly uncomfortable in places as Farmiga plays self reliant/involved diva and ego-above-her-status-actress very well and with great aplomb. Caan's comic relief as the wannabe lifer adds some one liners and fun to a film that has an old-fashioned serious classic quality both in style and direction (something to do with dimensions of camera angles/screen apparently), and the soundtrack is brilliant. Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard lends a certain gravitas to the proceedings, and a backdrop for the real-life storyline, as does Reeves' deliberate delivery and method metamorphosis from downtrodden bored/boring-but-nice average Joe to cavalier passionate lovestruck criminal-mastermind, which is impressive! I think this film is a slow burner... after watching it, it stayed in my mind and I want to see it again, sure there will be more layers and nuances that I missed.

Can Henry get away with it? This is the type of movie where we want him to succeed, like in "Ocean's Eleven".

In a better movie, James Caan would have been nominated for an Oscar for his excellent portrayal of Max. He is the standout performer here.

Vera Farmiga is quite good as Julie, who is better than this sorry role. And yet she gives it her all. What she does on stage and in rehearsals is worthy of being seen on the Tonys.

Keanu Reeves is okay. Not bad. Not great. He's better in the Chekhov play.

Fisher Stevens does a very good job. I'm used to seeing him as a basically nice guy who is sleazy, but here is is just bad. Not bad in that sense. He's very good at being bad.

There's no clear ending. I will say that much. So I'm not quite sure what happens. But the climactic scene is pretty amazing.

It's really worth seeing.