If you can’t do the time

Director: Malcolm Venville
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga, James Caan

Set up to be the fall guy in a bank robbery he didn’t commit, aimless Buffalo toll-booth operator Henry (Reeves) is sentenced to three years in jail.

Upon leaving, he feels aggrieved at the injustice and decides to rob the bank anyway, with the help of his erstwhile cellmate Max (Caan).

Discovering a long forgotten bootlegger’s tunnel which runs from the very same bank to a theatre across the alleyway, their plan is simple: by infiltrating the theatre and its current production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, the unlikely duo will buy just enough time to dig their way to the adjacent bank vault and drive off with their loot.

Unfortunately, nothing is ever that simple – their plan also includes Henry taking the lead role in the play, where he finds himself slowly falling for the production’s leading lady, Julie (Farmiga).

Following on from 44 Inch Chest, director Malcolm Venville’s second film is an enjoyable, bittersweet comedy-drama that has a pleasingly old fashioned feel to it, thanks to an intelligent script, well written characters, impressive direction and delightful performances from James Caan, Vera Farmiga and, yes, even Keanu Reeves. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that it might even be his most excellent adventure yet.

Genre: Comedy
Age Restriction: R
Runtime: 108 min