User reviews

Wasn't nearly as clever or funny or fun as say trading places. No real message or theme. But it was dumb cute fun with good actors. Automatic 6. Only not giving it higher cuz it wasn't very funny and nothing happened that was especially memorable But worth a watch just cuz. Love Kelsey grammar and his British wife from episodes. She's just hilarious and Fun always.

Nothing profound, not deep, just fun to watch, and had the Director mixed the sound better, would have been more fun. But they allow the music to play so loudly over the voices in too many people, that you miss what was said and it is more than annoying! Dialog should not be competing with music people! Please stop it. We should not have to struggle to understand what has been said. What is the point?

It is fun, that's all. If you really try to critique it, it becomes more work than watching it. It's primary value is to counter the dread of the daily news, and it does that well.

Sorry to say, I found this movie to be a terribly lame comedy, which didn't work for me on any level.

Kelsey Grammar stars as Charles Bunbury, a dullard of a bank chairman, whose wife Penelope (Tamsin Greig) is the principal shareholder of the 200-year-old venerable institution, and whose family has passed down control of the bank from one generation to the next.

When Charles is set-up to pour an enormous amount of the bank's and Penelope's money into a worthless investment, it will set off a chain of events that will lead to ruination for many. I won't bore you the rest of the plot details other than to say they get more and more absurd and nonsensical. For me, it became a slog to watch it to the end, all the way to its predictable conclusion.

Overall, I thought the comedic elements in this film just fell "flat as a pancake", and I would suggest trying something else.

A glance at the cast list of Breaking the Bank raises expectations. There's a huge amount of comic talent here, but good actors need a good script, and they don't have one. Plot and characterisation are hackneyed. Pearce Quigley's turn as a wise homeless man is a particularly unwelcome cliche, and Mathew Horne's investment banker is as one-note as an electric drill. If Vadim Jean wanted to make a comedy that exposed the absurdity and irresponsibility that led to to financial crisis of 2008, there was merit in the idea and a big target to aim at. Unfortunately he missed it by a mile. Good actors are often reduced to trotting out well-worn one-liners that might have come straight from a Google search for jokes for a best man to make at a wedding. Just as disappointingly, the expositional dialogue designed to show us the workings of the financial world sounds as if it was lifted from Wikipedia. Vadim Jean remains a talented director but on this evidence he's lost his ear for dialogue. Three stars for a cast that work hard and do their best with terrible material.

After all his years on 'Cheers' and 'Frasier' you'd think that Kelsey Grammar would know a good script from a bad one. Obviously not because he has popped up in this poor film, that after a very brief cinema outing has gone straight to DVD here in the UK.

And quite rightly so. Grammar may be the best thing in it by a mile, but come on, this is as weak as it gets. The plot is daft, the jokes silly - I think I lasted about half an hour and then gave up.

What is quite funny though is the 'making of' documentary, in which the writer and producer seem to be of the belief that they've come up with a British comedy that will rival the output of Richard Curtis and the Ealing comedies of days gone by. Sorry fellas, you weren't even close.

I can see why Grammar wants to make it on the big screen, but this isn't the film in which he'll do it.

I suspect all the negative reviews are by those who simply can't appreciate or comprehend how the city and its traders operate - and machinations of the goings on as exemplified this movie. This movie shows the city workings pretty well... albeit with some exaggeration. It was clever and it was quite believable... it showed exactly how companies prosper and fail because those that hold the stock, whether owners or short term traders can make or break a company.

I saw a private preview of this film with some friends. In my opinion we all thought this was one of the worst films we'd ever seen ! Kelsey Grammar, what possessed you, with all your millions and your outstanding comic performances in Frasier to appear in this Z film ? Beyond me ! We had to stay until the end of the film as obviously as an invited audience one could not leave, when the credits came up I looked round and my friend was already at the exit ! When I saw the plug for this film on The Graham Norton Show that this film had actually been released I was in shock ! A vague memory of the plot escapes me, the main thing was watching Kelsy Grammar in a really cringeworthy film.

A truly dire film.

Kelsey Grammar is, to my mind, a genius of a comic actor. This is based , of course, on his bravura performance on what was possibly the best ever sitcom - Frasier. However he just does not seem to work on the big screen. Breaking the Bank is awful in almost every respect. The combination of American and English humour just does not work. The cast of the movie are seasoned performers with good work in their CV's but this film is not a good addition to them. Tamsin Grieg, Matthew Horne can be great but seem to be phoning it in here. Kelsey Grammar is the best thing in the film but with such a lousy script he is given little chance to show what he can do. Kelsey seems bound to be tied to the small screen - Cheers, Frasier and Boss were all successful ventures - Frasier is legendary, but his large screen outings seem all to have been failures, apart from his Toy Story voiceovers.

I guess you're the 24/7-type? Yes, 24 hours a week, 7 months a year.

You're not the biggest idiot in the world, but when he dies...

This is a funny send-up of British banking and capitalism in general. There were many laugh-out-loud moments. I recognised many of the prime banking locations in London. This film is much better than the 1 out of 10 crowd say.

Just relax, watch it, and enjoy yourself.

OMG What happened? Did you owe someone in Hollywood a film no matter how bad the script was? Curse those multi-film contracts! Couldn't even finish the film, had to put Frazier reruns on to remind me of Mr. Grammars greatness.

This film is not one of those you can stick on after dinner and enjoy, it's so terrible you can't even sleep to it. I have to say it's probably one of the worst films I have ever seen. It's a wonder how they got the cast to do it

What was Kelsey Grammar thinking when he signed up to be in this turkey? How the mighty have fallen. From Cheers and Frasier to this tenth rate Trading Places tribute act. There's no doubting the stellar nature of the cast but considering the awful script (and Kelsey's strangled British accent), they must be seriously considering getting new agents. Honestly, this horror show has almost nothing going for it, the single saving grace being Pearse Quigley as the eccentric tramp Oscar. Even the music and the end credit slide show lack charm. Avoid this train wreck even out of curiosity.

Fun mix of sentiment, comedy, and social commentary.

Very fun actors.

Sadly went with trendy overly-obvious innuendo rather than being classy. Definitely not PG.

Beautiful views of London.

Great one-liners.

Kelsey grammer is charles bunbury, the incompetent president of a very old but broke bank. Grinding (john higgins... better known for best in show!) wants to buy it. As do others. Can he sell it before the truth comes out about its poor financial condition? Or before his wife finds out how bad things are? In the meantime, charles is out on the street, and must learn how to survive. Some funny bits, where a bank exec not only brings his lunch in a lunchbox, but even has a note from mom with his lunch. Can his daughter, or maybe his homeless friend help him get his wife back? It's a bankroom farce! It's mostly fun.... moves a little slow. Many similarities to trading places, from 1983. Film directed by vadim jean. Story by roger devlin. Kind of.

Thought it was a fun, whimsical English frolic the first time, and was impressed with Kelsey. Then I saw Boss, him as a Chicago mayor- my god this man has acting chops, his character was downright frightening, something I've rarely experienced (don't care to for that matter), but it convinced me all the more about what this man was capable of.

Upon watching Breaking the Bank for a second time I could better see and appreciate all the little touches and flair he added to the role. Was charmed by Tamsin Greig as well, re-enforcing English and female stereotypes, but in a very fun way.

Was very surprised to see the 4.8 IMBD rating. What??? I'm an American with an appreciation for British humor. The only crock was that a no-nothing was invested with that kind of power, and of course, that his Japanese friend and he were able to get back in the drivers seat so easily.

But what the hell, other than the usual Hollywood sleight of hand to make the story go 'round, I really enjoyed the daughters role in bringing her dad to a more compassionate place, and his final speech was just brilliant. Of course this was made in 2012, so the shenanigans of wall street were fresh in everyones mind.

Similar genre to his up periscope movie which was also panned by critics but was very good and enjoyable to watch.