spoilers - I got this as a recommendation after watching "Robot & Frank" on netflix.... not sure why... maybe because they both involve theft?? In our story, Sam, the bellhop (Craig Roberts) goes into a jewelry store, after meeting a cute girl Mary (Imogen Poots), and gets caught up in a heist. The jewelry story owner or manager is a big, blustery, blowhard, and I'm amazed that they didn't blow him away; he keeps yelling at the holdup guys, but they had no trouble killing a little old lady who was standing in the store at the time. One of the crooks has a terrible stutter, so he should be no problem to identify at some point. To make him even more quirky, the facemask which he wears has a virgin mary in the center, which the camera lingers on, now & then. A standout here is the sandwich shop clerk, played by Anthony Welsh. He has a smallish role, but carries it off well. The film is OK.... The hostages talk with each other, and with the inept crooks, at one point to stop them from possibly raping one of the hostages. Not the best film I've watched, but not the worst. Lots of talking, some shooting. Ordering food. The jewelry store owner/manager switches from insulting the bellhop to praising him pretty quickly. Then it all hits the fan, the big adventure is over, and they talk a lot about their future plans and dreams for people who were just facing death a few minutes before.

I suppose this qualifies as a movie, but as for any redeeming qualities it doesn't have any unless you consider the music playing throughout. Two bungling crooks set out to rob a jewelry store and must have decided murder was a good addition to their plan since they kill a customer 20 seconds into the robbery. A hostage setting ensues and then complete boredom and ridiculous dialogue follow. After watching this I convinced the writer and director realized they were in a quagmire 10 minutes in, but just decided to plug away absent a plan. It doesn't help that Roberts and Poots have no chemistry at all, and the sequence of events makes no sense in relation to what has gone on before. Poots is essentially cast as the beautiful girl who has been hurt before. Roberts as the love sick puppy with no courage other than to stand up for this girl he just met. Throw in the defiant store manager and the two bumbling crooks and everything goes according to script. Pretty comical really.All in all a dreadful mess that forces events to happen for purposes of moving the train wreck forward, but anyone with an IQ over 70 will realize it is forced. If I found out they made this with no script and in one afternoon I would not be surprised.

I wouldn't use any extreme words to describe this film. It's not 'fantastic' or 'hysterical' or 'must see'. But it is interesting and unusual.The story of a jewelry heist gone very wrong and the three hostages awaiting resolution in the rarefied atmosphere of an elite London antique jewelry shop , it is fairly quiet, reserved,occasionally funny ;and occasionally jolting, stressful,violent.Except for a few scenes, it all takes place in one interior ,so it feels very much like a play.I wasn't familiar with any of the actors except my hero, Timothy Spall, but they were all spot on.And it was very interesting to me that the five main actors all pretty much had equal time. There was no one person that 'made the picture.' For me, the story and the characters all felt very authentic and believable, and the pace never felt lagging or forced. The unexpected elements were the romantic interludes- a grief struck gentleman remembering the love of his life,a fairy tale-like story told to distract a worried hostage; a psychopath mesmerized by an opera aria; and they all contributed to making a heist/hostage film something quite different and out of the ordinary.I really enjoyed it.

This is a film I've been tracking for a while through develoment as it has some quality throughout the production and acting teams. I have to say the team have done a great job of blending romantic comedy with adventure action - finally, a movie that has something for me and the lady in my life...It reminds me of the classic London BritFlick films such as LockStock but less comedic and updated to feel more realistic. London looks beautiful, the cast are beautiful and the script beautifully written. It twists and turns and in some places isn't fully explained - but I'm not sure that's a negative - more a sign of a robust storyteller at work. I'd like to know more about the team behind this as it is shot in a unique way that adds to the 'new feel' of the film. It also reminds me just how stunning the city is as a backdrop for such fim making.