Gerard Butler bends the rules in ‘Den of Thieves’
Solid ‘Den of Thieves’ will take you by surprise
“Den of Thieves” won’t win any points for originality, but it sure has fun swiping bits and pieces from other movies.
• Set in the grittiest corners of Los Angeles, the action zeroes in on two alpha males from opposite sides of the law. Bank robber Merriman (Pablo Schreiber) is a brooding former Marine who always seems to be a few seconds away from exploding. Still, he’s quiet and authoritative, a natural leader.
• Then there’s Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler). He’s a boozy, chain-smoking cop full of bluster and attitude who isn’t afraid to bend the rules. He tells one suspect that he’d rather shoot him than book him: “Less paperwork,” he barks.
• In writerdirector Christian Gudegast’s simmering action caper, Nick is actually the good guy. Well, as good as Nick can get. I’d hate to see his personnel file, but the rough-and-dirty edges effectively add texture to the character.
He’s on the trail of Merriman, who leads a group of thieves who have been pulling off major bank heists in the city. His crew is full of ex-military members, which means there is a sense of honor and family in their ranks. It’s touched on in a funny scene in which one of Merriman’s men meets his teen daughter’s date — and he’s accompanied by members of the crew.
Nick and his squad pull in Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), a low-level member of Merriman’s gang who drives the getaway cars but knows little else. Nick thinks Donnie could be his way to getting inside the mind of Merriman. He knows the former Marine is plotting something, but isn’t aware of the scope: Merriman wants to take down the Federal Reserve Bank.
Nick and Merriman begin toying with each other. The film’s liveliest sequences involve the two one-upping each other, first on the firing range and then moving on to more personal territory. It’s tense, surprising and amusing, as you see these two guys aiming to prove who’s top dog.
Gudegast is honest about his love for Michael Mann’s “Heat,” and that movie’s influence can be felt throughout “Den of Thieves.” But what Gudegast accomplishes doesn’t feel like a copy; it’s closer to how early Brian de Palma films scream Hitchcock but still work on their own merits.
He also has fun setting up a viewer’s expectations, then diverting them before returning to his original intent. There is a complex sequence that explains how the Federal Reserve works. For a moment, you think it’s flabby filmmaking, but then it ultimately pays off. (To say more would spoil the fun.)
“Den of Thieves” isn’t a masterpiece by any means, but it’s fun, exciting and hard-boiled, and the actors are doing solid work. Jackson (“Straight Outta Compton”) is terrific as a guy who may not be the naif he first appears. Schreiber does a lot with few words, making Merriman someone who feels dangerous even when he’s not saying very much.
Butler sometimes can coast on his movie-star charms, but here he’s fully present and engaged. Beefed up, covered in tattoos and speaking in a rasp that sounds like too much scotch and cigarettes, he goes all-in as Nick. Still, it’s not mere tough-guy posturing; there are some well-played domestic moments with his wife and children that show the toll the job has taken. It’s his best role in years.