Thank you. Yes thank you actors, director Doug Campbell, and everyone else who was involved in creating this solid piece of film-making. This is a film you may typically skip over when looking for the big blockbusters, but don't. I actually almost did the aforementioned, but do to my interest in "heist" films, committed the title to memory from Red Box where I saw it, then scanned the web for further info on it.
I'm pretty sure this was a direct to home video film from MCI but it plays as good as any high end Hollywood film. This is a "TV movie" because of the affiliation with the Lifetime network but you would never know that to be the case after seeing it in my opinion. Also it is shot in widescreen and doesn't have a clunky TV aura to it. I can tell you that the film is not so much about plotting and planning a bank robbery, but more about the dynamics that reveal themselves in between. The acting is top notch for this kind of budget restricted film, and I can be one tough critic. These are some "giving it all you've got" portrayals that deserve recognition. I was on the seat of my pants waiting for the next twist or latent clue to come that eventually did and never failed to satisfy.
"Teenage Bank Heist" has some real actors in it that spout their lines with an incredibly realistic delivery. Almost nothing screamed "fake" to me and the little that did was based in pure sentimentality that works for films anyway. The camera shots were absolutely superb with limited but highly plausible action sequences. I would love to have seen extras on the DVD with interviews or behind the scenes footage but I don't even know if the film-makers knew how good a film they made. Plus, this was probably a package deal that had limitations with its distributing. This goes beyond just renting, its a keeper. I hope it catches on.
The players:
Maeve Quinlan: Joyce (Cassie's mom played with authentic determination) Abbie Cobb: Cassie (carries the film with bewilderment and empathy) Cassie Thompson: Abbie (knows how a gutsy thinking girl acts) Augie Duke: Maria (rage, spot on, period) Davida Williams: Grace (a quiet loss projected) James Ferris: Nick (has the unstable bad a$* role cornered) Rosa Blasi: Agent Mendoza (this is the FBI- a talented to the core portrayal with sugar on top) The "secondary" cast members more than held their own as well. And yes I know the two female leads Cassie and Abbie must have switched their real names with each other for their characters names- cool.
