The Bank Job

In 1971, British Security Services (MI5) want a safety deposit box secured in a Lloyds Bank branch. Belonging to Black militant gangster Michael X, it contains compromising photos of Princess Margaret, insurance to keep the British authorities off Michael's back. Martine, an ex-model sleeping with MI5 agent Tim Everett, is caught smuggling drugs into the country; to avoid going to jail, she makes a deal with Tim to retrieve the photos so MI5 can finally arrest Michael. MI5 has the idea to stage the retrieval as a robbery so Martine approaches her ex-boyfriend Terry Leather, who has criminal contacts. Terry is now a struggling car salesman but happily married with two kids. She tells him he will be richly rewarded if they pull off the robbery but does not tell him about the photos. Terry's team includes his close friends Eddie, Dave, and Kevin, as well as trusted criminal associates Bambas and Guy. While scouting the bank, Dave runs into gangster Lew Vogel, for whom he'd made pornographic films. The gang rents a shop near the bank, tunnels below the vault, and breaks in. During the robbery prep, Martine, who is still in love with Terry, kisses him and they sleep together. They loot the safety deposit boxes, but Terry discovers Princess Margaret's photos and learns that Martine lied to them. The police are alerted to the robbery by ham radio operator Eric Addey, who overhears the gang's walkie-talkie communications, but the gang has fled. The robbery rattles important figures who kept incriminating items, including Vogel, who has a ledger of police payoffs and bribes inside, and government officials who secretly frequented Sonia Bern's brothels. Vogel realizes Dave's presence outside the bank was not a coincidence, and has him kidnapped and tortured for information. Dave gives in, and Vogel has Gerald and Nick—two policemen on his payroll—kidnap Eddie. Terry discovers the explicit photographs of government officials in Sonia's brothels among their loot. Knowing Tim will let the gang take the fall once MI5 has Princess Margaret's photos, Terry uses the brothel photos to secure passports and new identities for the gang in exchange for Princess Margaret's photos. Vogel's men murder Bambas and Guy. Vogel kills Dave and threatens to kill Eddie unless Terry surrenders the ledger. Terry agrees to meet with Vogel at Paddington Station to exchange the ledger for Eddie. He arranges for the meeting to happen at the same time he will be picking up the new passports and written immunity from prosecution from MI5, delivered by Lord Mountbatten. Terry also sends Kevin to honest cop Roy Given with a page from the ledger to ask for his help. Vogel tries to flee at the sight of MI5, but Terry attacks him—only for him and Eddie to be arrested. Tim has Terry, Eddie and Kevin released and Given uses the ledger they turned in to arrest Vogel, Gerald and Nick. Michael deduces that Gale Benson—an MI5 agent and lover of his associate Hakim Jamal—is spying on him for MI5, and murders her. With Princess Margaret's photos secured, Tim arrests Michael and discovers Gale's body, with whom he was friends. He burns down Michael's house in response. The surviving gang gets together one last time to mourn Dave. Terry hands over his car dealership to Eddie. Martine asks Terry to leave with her but he refuses, choosing his wife and kids. Terry and his family leave England with their share of the money. Vogel's ledger causes Scotland Yard to undergo a major corruption purge in the police force. The activities in Sonia's brothels make several senior officials resign. Michael X is hanged in 1975 for Gale's murder and his file in the British National Archive remains classified until 2054. Vogel is sentenced to 8 years in prison. The murders of Bambas and Singer are never solved. The loot taken from the robbery consists of £4 million.

Plot from The Bank JobCC BY-SA 4.0