Adolescents criminels

I'm not sure why it was given such low rating because maybe big names are not affiliated with this movie. I myself found it to be very exciting. Even though it's a low budget movie but the actors have done a great job. Writing, plot are not nonsensical. TBH, we have enjoyed this movie. Those who haven't watched it yet, should give it a shot. Watch the whole thing before passing judgments.

Cassie (Abbie Cobb) is a reluctant bank teller for her mother Joyce (Maeve Quinlan). Then 3 robbers come in. Cassie recognizes one of them as her best friend Abbie (Cassi Thomson), and she's taken hostage. She crashes the armor truck and injures her other friend Grace (Davida Williams). She helps them take care of Grace and finds out the real reason for the robbery. The other girl Marie (Augie Duke) is older and is doing it for the money with her boyfriend Nick (James Ferris). Meanwhile police agent Mendoza (Rosa Blasi) suspects that Cassie is actually in on the robbery.

It's an ambitious bank heist story, and a passable Lifetime movie. The girls are perfectly likable. The dialog is a little clunky at times. It starts off slowly, but it gets better. However the ambitious plot goes over the edge with a lack of overall style and competent action directions. A big screen movie would push the action to the next level, but this just doesn't have the next gear.

Thank you. Yes thank you actors, director Doug Campbell, and everyone else who was involved in creating this solid piece of film-making. This is a film you may typically skip over when looking for the big blockbusters, but don't. I actually almost did the aforementioned, but do to my interest in "heist" films, committed the title to memory from Red Box where I saw it, then scanned the web for further info on it.

I'm pretty sure this was a direct to home video film from MCI but it plays as good as any high end Hollywood film. This is a "TV movie" because of the affiliation with the Lifetime network but you would never know that to be the case after seeing it in my opinion. Also it is shot in widescreen and doesn't have a clunky TV aura to it. I can tell you that the film is not so much about plotting and planning a bank robbery, but more about the dynamics that reveal themselves in between. The acting is top notch for this kind of budget restricted film, and I can be one tough critic. These are some "giving it all you've got" portrayals that deserve recognition. I was on the seat of my pants waiting for the next twist or latent clue to come that eventually did and never failed to satisfy.

"Teenage Bank Heist" has some real actors in it that spout their lines with an incredibly realistic delivery. Almost nothing screamed "fake" to me and the little that did was based in pure sentimentality that works for films anyway. The camera shots were absolutely superb with limited but highly plausible action sequences. I would love to have seen extras on the DVD with interviews or behind the scenes footage but I don't even know if the film-makers knew how good a film they made. Plus, this was probably a package deal that had limitations with its distributing. This goes beyond just renting, its a keeper. I hope it catches on.

The players:

Maeve Quinlan: Joyce (Cassie's mom played with authentic determination) Abbie Cobb: Cassie (carries the film with bewilderment and empathy) Cassie Thompson: Abbie (knows how a gutsy thinking girl acts) Augie Duke: Maria (rage, spot on, period) Davida Williams: Grace (a quiet loss projected) James Ferris: Nick (has the unstable bad a$* role cornered) Rosa Blasi: Agent Mendoza (this is the FBI- a talented to the core portrayal with sugar on top) The "secondary" cast members more than held their own as well. And yes I know the two female leads Cassie and Abbie must have switched their real names with each other for their characters names- cool.

Its clearly a television movie but there's no major flaw that could be pointed out. The pacing is done correctly and the plot is engaging, enough. Every single character has a motivation and (sometimes weird) background. The message is flimsy at best.

The cinematography, though at times rather unimaginative and uninspired, oftentimes blossoms into relative sublimity.

The score is nothing truly remarkable but does its job quite fine. It adds tension to already well-crafted scenes of great suspense with great effect. Could be described as penile even flacid so...

Overall it was engaging enough to watch through.

Good: The pacing is well done, enough to keep you wanting to know what happens at the end. Acting is decent enough.

Bad: Many other things. With a movie name that has 'Teenage' in it, you know to expect some dumb decisions. Problem is you cannot have characters that create Sherlock-like plans one minute then do many other things on the level of a bratty first grader five minutes later. And this includes parents and cops. The ending(if you are over age 16) will make you say WTF. This movie plays more like a long after-school TV special and not exaggerating that last statement.