By Joshua Robison / The Jambar
When a professional thief, an insurance broker and a relentless detective find themselves in a game of cat and mouse all while dealing with inner conflicts, the film steals the audience’s attention. “Crime 101” hits center stage as the most recent addition to the cinematic crime genre.
“Crime 101” is action packed and filled to the brim with suspense. Audiences follow the three protagonists, played by actors Halle Berry, Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, take strategic moves to gain the edge on one another.
What can be said about this film is predominantly positive. The plot is engaging and keeps the audience dialed in. The film was edited very cleanly and utilized the vibrant cityscapes of coastal cities to its advantage.
The film uses appropriate lighting to convey inner meaning behind each of the characters. Hemsworth’s character, Davis, is mostly cast into low light to emphasize that he is a thief with secrets he wants to hide. Ruffalo’s character, Lou, is shown with more light. Berry’s character, Sharron, alternates in between the light and dark as she is a lynchpin between Lou and Davis.
Furthermore, “Crime 101” does an exceptional job at displaying the duality of its setting. It shows how people in one city, like Los Angeles, can have completely different lives. In one scene, the film shows people and symbols that resonate with wealth, then in others, it shows scenes of poverty and struggle.
The juxtaposition of such is one of the most important elements of the film, as this gives a level or representation to a side of the world that Hollywood tends to overshadow. Not only this, but the dichotomy provides a greater look into Hemsworth’s character.
“Crime 101” gives a lot of grace to serious topics such as the inner workings of crime, the bureaucracy within the justice system and the unjust treatment women face in the corporate world.
The overall visual storytelling aspect of the film is considerably an outlier in the genre. Most crime films seem to put a greater emphasis on action and intense sequences. However, this film takes the time to build tension and display a sense of urgency.
Like any other film, “Crime 101” is certainly not perfect. This film is far from winning any prestigious awards. The acting is by far the weakest link in the whole film — mostly Hemsworth’s acting.
As appropriate to his character as it is, his acting felt overwhelmingly awkward. Now of course, Hemsworth is not the caliber of actor to put on an exceedingly emotional role, but even his role in the film felt off.
Not much can be said for Ruffalo’s or Berry’s performance either, which is disappointing given the career that both of them have had.
Overall, “Crime 101” is entertaining and pays homage to many real-world issues, while making a quality visual story. This movie is certainly not guilty of being the movie of the year, but the jury can agree that “Crime 101,” without a reasonable doubt, stole its title as a decent crime film.