‘Crime 101’ Review: Chris Hemsworth & Halle Berry in Glossy Thriller

You can feel the outsize ambition in Bart Layton’s crime thriller adapted from a novella by that master of the genre, Don Winslow. The film features a labyrinthine storyline that connects in surprising ways; superb production values, including enough Los Angeles location shooting to counteract all that runaway production; and excellent performances from an overstuffed cast (even minor roles are filled by major actors).

But for all its technical and narrative finesse, Crime 101 proves less than convincing, straining so mightily to become a broad cinematic tapestry that you grow too aware of the false stitches in its seams. Still, it’s hard to fault a movie for trying too hard.

There’s an embarrassment of riches in the cast, headed by Chris Hemsworth as Davis, a slick jewel thief who operates by a strict moral code; Halle Berry as Sharon, a high-end insurance agent becoming increasingly embittered by her failure to be properly appreciated by her bosses; and Mark Ruffalo as Lou, a veteran Los Angeles detective who’s somehow managed to maintain his principles in a department more intent on racking up closed cases than ferreting out the truth.

Then there’s Barry Keoghan, electrifying as a bleach-blonde, dirt bike-riding bad guy with a hair-trigger propensity for violence; Nick Nolte as an underworld fence who doesn’t think twice about betraying his clients; Oscar-nominee Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown) as the woman with whom Davis begins a tentative relationship; Corey Hawkins as Lou’s pragmatic police partner; and, for one brief but impactful scene, Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lou’s wife, who’s walking away from the marriage.

Director-screenwriter Layton, who handled similar thematic territory in American Animals, does an adroit job of juggling the narrative balls, even if the plotting features so many coincidences that it makes L.A. seem like a small town in which everyone runs across each other now and again. The story revolves around Davis, the sort of gentleman bandit who thoughtfully returns his victims’ cell phones before making his departure and who, in the grand tradition of cinematic thieves, is looking to get out of the business after that last big score. He’s developed a well-planned method of using advance information to commit jewel robberies and quickly make his escape via the L.A. freeway that provides the film’s punning title.

The only cop who recognizes his pattern is Lou, but he’s unable to convince his higher-ups. Meanwhile, Sharon, passed over for a promotion and realizing that her work shelf life is increasingly limited due to her age (it’s a credit to the still stunning-looking Berry that she is able to make this persuasive), is approached by Davis to become one of his sources of information. She also strikes up a friendship with Lou, who’s investigating the robbery of one of her clients and whom she subsequently encounters at a yoga class.

There’s a lot to take in — probably too much, with the myriad subplots stretching the film to a bloated 140 minutes. Probably the least necessary one involves Davis attempting to forge a real romance instead of his dalliances with hookers, but it does provide insight into his emotionally detached character. Hemsworth brings interesting shadings to his role, showcasing the requisite amount of Steve McQueen-style macho cool (the iconic actor is pointedly referenced) but also conveying Davis’ increasing fear and vulnerability.

There’s also terrific work by Ruffalo, who looks so rumpled in the film’s early section that he makes Peter Falk’s Columbo look like a style icon. The actor brings such a sly, understated confidence to the character that he renders Lou’s implausible actions in the final act almost believable. Berry gives her best performance in years, conveying the anger and insecurity that fuel Sharon’s decision to stop playing by the rules. And the gravel-voiced Nolte, seen in only a few scenes, displays the fierce gravitas that made him one of the screen’s top actors in his heyday.

But it’s Keoghan, who made clear his fearlessness in Saltburn, who steals the show. His live-wire performance, seemingly inspired by numerous previous screen depictions of psychopathic bad guys, infuses the proceedings with welcome kinetic energy.

Layton applies an arrestingly glossy sheen to the film, abetted by Erik Alexander Wilson’s superb cinematography and Blanck Mass’ tense electronica-infused score. There are times, though, when the filmmaker makes his machinations too obvious, as with the too-cute cross-cutting illustrating how the characters are all caught in the same web.

Ultimately, Crime 101 feels too contrived and artificial to be convincing. But there’s plenty to appreciate along the way, especially the extensive cinematic craftsmanship that’s gone into it.