This is a gritty and realistic crime movie based on a true story. In any country, the plot of this movie would be interesting: police captain Andre Stander (played by Thomas Jane) turns not just into a bank robber, but into his country's most notorious bank robber. He's caught, of course, but then escapes and goes on a daring spree with his gang.What makes this movie even better is its remarkable sense of time and place. It is set in apartheid South Africa in the 1970s and the director must have gone to extraordinary lengths to recreate that world for the viewer. The scene of the 1976 riot in Tembisa is particularly striking. It's worth seeing this movie for that scene alone.The director may have presented us with a somewhat romanticised view of Stander. His off-again on-again relationship with Bekkie (played by Deborah Kara Unger) is depicted as central in Stander's life. Is it true that Stander had political motives? Or regret for his actions in Tembisa? According to crime reporter Rob Marsh, some think Stander killed more than one person at Tembisa and he may have been involved in two rapes.The two leads put in fine performances. Obviously they worked hard on perfecting their South African accents. (In general it's remarkable that this most South African of movies was made by Americans with North American actors.) O'Hara's performance as the unreliable gang member was particularly good. Fletcher and Taylor were also very good.Jane and Unger are an attractive couple. Take note Thomas Jane fans: there are extended scenes in this movie of Jane shirtless and au naturel.Craig Hunter of TheHollywoodNews.com is right about this movie. He recently wrote, "My pick to show just how good an actor (Thomas James) is has to the be criminally under-seen crime biopic STANDER. A truly awesome film from Bronwen Hughes with Jane as South African cop-turned-crook Andre Stander. Get it seen people!" That's a remarkable thing for a film reviewer to write nine years after a movie was made.

All in all an excellent ride! They got the theme, feel and pacing just right. Thomas Jane was wonderful in this role. By far his best work with worthy material. The cinematography was perfect to set the feel of the era. A very nicely done script. You understand the character somewhat even if you do not agree with his actions. The movie never becomes preachy or sanctimonious. You get the impression that thought and feel went into the whole process. If all action movies had this type of follow though and attention o detail I would go to see a lot more of them. I hope this director makes more of them. It would be a great improvement over the standard fare.All in all an excellent ride!

Being a South African and knowing somewhat about the family etc, the movie may have been correct about the aspects of the robberies but the political overtones they tried to make was utter rubbish.Stander was nothing more than a greedy bank robber. He DID NOT ROB the banks to give to the poor little blacks. He robbed the banks and for a considerable amount of time he wasted the money and lived in absolute wealth. He bought expensive cars, boats etc.The director of the movie really tried his best to drag apartheid and political issues into the story but his bad attempts are transparent. The whole story of him going to the father of ONE of the many blacks that he shot during his work at the SAP force was utter rubbish. Then right at the end of the movie, It says where the three robbers are now or what happened to them. THEN. NELSON MANDELA WAS RELEASE OUT OF PRISON. What the hell has that got to do with the whole movie. NOTHING.I hate it if people make use of any excuse to spout their own sick version of politics.

After picking up the movie almost solely for the purpose of watching Tom Jane the actual content and brilliance of the story was shocking. Even after I realized it wasn't my normal kind of movie I was compelled to watch, completely caught up in the lives and fates of the characters. Even more compelling due to the fact that it tells a true story there's a sense of real involvement with the people and their story. For people born after the 70's and far away from South Africa this era is something almost make believe but this movie brings it to glorious and heart breaking true life. Great acting, great story, well worth watching.