Way Down is a crime thriller heist film directed by Jaume Balagueró. It stars Freddie Highmore, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Riley, Liam Cunningham, Luis Tosar, Axel Stein, José Coronado, and Famke Janssen and is now available on Digital platforms.
Thom (Freddie Highmore) an intelligent and smart engineer is recruited by Walter Moreland (Liam Cunningham) to help him to break into the vault of the most secure location of the world. He's joined by Lorraine (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey), James (Sam Riley), Simon (Luis Tosar), and Klaus (Axel Stein). They are going to carry out their heist in the Bank of Spain which is considered as one of the most impenetrable buildings on the planet. So what's the reason for this heist? What's inside the vault? Do they succeed? You will know all of it after watching the film.
Written by Rowan Athale, Michel Gaztambide, Borja Glez. Santaolalla, Andres Koppel, and Rafa MartÃnez, Way Down aka The Vault is outdated in terms of plot and its execution but does it keep you engaged? Yes, fully. Though everything looks cliched and you might predict what's going to happen, it doesn't fail to create the adrenaline rush sequences that keep you on your toes in most of the scenes.
Apart from Thom, Walter, and Lorraine, we don't get invested in other characters but it's totally fine. The 2-hour duration has been well used to flesh out the motive for the heist and some characters especially Thom who doesn't want to work for a company. The set up of the film in Spain is also very smartly used here which is set in the backdrop of the FIFA World Cup 2010 where Spain won that football championship. The crowd gathers in Cibeles Square, outside the bank for watching the tournament on the monster screen and every single camera is pointing to the crowd and that's where the heist happens. As usual, there will be hurdles but showing such a huge problem like the vault is weight-sensitive has been solved in such a simple way. It is not bad but not fulfilling. However, there are some truly WOW moments like Lorraine scanning the portrait and many more that keep you hooked throughout.
Freddie Highmore fits the role of a nerd and as Thom, there is no way anything could have gone wrong. He's a delight to watch... Bates Motel or The Good Doctor, he never fails to impress with this unique acting skills. Liam Cunningham as Walter shines, even though he has nothing much to do physically, he impresses playing the mastermind. Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey as Lorraine, Sam Riley as James, Luis Tosar as Simon, Axel Stein as Klaus, and José Coronado as Gustavo, all have lent good support.
The cinematography by Daniel Aranyó is brilliant. The film looks absolutely stunning in every frame, the aerial shots, or the interior of the Bank of Spain, everything looks spot on. The production design by Patrick Salvador is very apt and the music by Arnau Bataller is pumping and elevates the effect of the charged sequences. The editing by David Gallart is perfect.
Way Down aka The Vault by Jaume Balagueró is a well-made heist film. If it kept you invested and engrossed throughout the film, then who cares the idea was outdated or cliched. Not only the characters, but the backdrop of the FIFA World Cup and Spain also plays a crucial role in this film. Everything is well balanced, the narrative is kept simple, no cringe jokes in serious duration. Watch it, it's fun and entertaining and nothing much to hate.
Rating:- 3/5
Now on Digital.
Hope you have liked this post. Follow and hit the bell button to Subscribe and tap on filmreviewsloop for more reviews and recommendations. Feel free to comment or to give any suggestions, I'm all ears.
0 Comments