A series of high-end robberies, one detective, one insurance broker, an overzealous protege and one man trying to make a better life for himself. All things that come together to create Amazon MGM Studio’s newest movie “Crime 101” starring Chris Hemsworth.
The movie opens with an aerial shot of Los Angeles’ U.S. Route 101, which is the focus point of the movie. A voiceover discusses how the day is going to be a fresh start, like someone is listening to meditation. As the aerial shot comes to a close the audience is introduced to two men approaching a jewelry store on the quest to begin a diamond transport.
In contrast the next shot moves to a dimly lit room where Mike Smith, played by Chris Hemsworth, is getting dressed and hyping himself up for the work day ahead of him. Shadows hiding most of his face represent how he is hiding from the people around him, even himself. The meditation voiceover is still going on, and it is interesting to see how the words influence those who are on screen.
When Smith and the two previous men pull into the parking lot of a strip mall off of Route 101, it is there that Smith makes his move. Robbing the men, focusing on the fact that the leader of the duo has real diamonds taped to his ankle. In the hurry to get away, the other man in the car fires at Smith, but it backfires. Smith, shaken, speeds away and damages his car before abandoning it in a car garage covering it before getting into his everyday car. Not before noticing that the top of his ski mask has the faintest amount of blood on it and taking out his colored contacts.
As Smith is driving away, the camera zooms out a bit while on the highway. He drives past a woman in sunglasses, exhausted but on her way to work. While not explicitly explained, viewers can infer that the woman shown has some connection to Smith. Smith is then seen driving past another man, who is visibly stressed but in thought. Camera angles work to showcase the fact that these three people are orbiting each other long before they ever have interactions together.
“Crime 101” follows Mike Smith, Sharon Colvin (Halle Berry) and detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) as they all come into contact with the famed “highway 101 robber.” The film is excellent, as it does a great way of showcasing just how interconnected the lives of people are. In many scenes, while focused on a specific character other main characters appear in the background or even interact with the person in focus.
It also serves as a way to showcase just how easy it is for people to get away with things when they have all the right resources. Smith tracks the people involved in his tasks via sticking a phone in a hidden place on someone’s car. Orman (Barry Keoghan) uses dog trackers, which is another way that people do not realize can be used to track people discreetly.
Mike Smith is interesting in so many different ways because of the way he is characterized in scenes. He wears variations of black throughout most of the movie, signifying his feelings of being too far gone into the life he has chosen along with his need to be anonymous. Only slightly gaining color in his clothing as the movie ends, showing how he has disconnected from the life he once knew. He is changing for the better, and has the determination to do so.
The guided meditation used as voiceover throughout most of the movie helps tell the story without showing the characters thoughts and emotions. It emphasizes the motivations and characteristics of each character. Along with the highway itself, it serves as one of the strongest connections between them. .
Hemsworth delivers an amazing performance, even though he has very few lines in comparison to his costars Berry and Ruffalo. Yet, Hemsworth’s performance relies heavily on what is unsaid, including his body movements along with facial expressions. This relates to his character, as Smith wants to be able to disappear and he has a harder time connecting with the people around him. Throughout the movie, he is shown wanting no connections, easily disappearing in the blink of an eye. Which is why his final movements in the movie are so out of character, allowing him to get away with things.
Keoghan’s performance however is maddening. It falls short, highlighting flaws in his character and own performance abilities. Though it is beneficial, because by the end of the movie audiences are satisfied with his fate. Honestly, knowing that he performed in the 2023 phenomenon, “Saltburn,” is a disappointment in reflection of this acting. Yet again, this may be especially highlighted when his costars are renowned actors and actresses.
“Crime 101” also fails to deliver resolution to a few plotlines in the story. One of the major plotlines is the fact that Lubesnick’s partner lies on a police report that resulted in the death of a teenager. Lubesnick and his partner along with another officer responded to a call where the third officer shot the boy. Lubesnick never saw the boy with a gun, yet there magically is a gun on the boy and both other responding officers report there was one. It is so briefly touched on that the audience is left to wonder if there is corruption in the department. But it is never answered and is never discussed afterwards.
There is also the fact that the audience has difficulty connecting with the romance that is arguably forced between Smith and a woman. They have nothing in common and Smith refuses to discuss it himself throughout the entire movie. However the movie ends with Smith sending her a photo of himself as a child. Inferring that she goes after him and they get back together. But it falls flat, with neither character expressing genuine interest for each other. The acting feels linear with no real emotion behind it. Which makes it incredibly interesting that they end up together in the end.
The cinematography of the entire movie is beautiful though. From the opening aerial shot to the ending scenes as each character settles into life post-highway 101. A lot of the storyline is told from the camera work itself.. A key shot is focused on the real diamonds and the counterfeit diamonds. If the viewer pays close enough attention, one of the twists in the movie is given away by camera work way before the reveal. It shows how a movie does not need to rely on simply just words, but lighting and especially cinematography.
