Fates collide in the high stakes crime thriller Crime 101, starring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo. An elusive jewel thief prepares for the job of a lifetime, while a disillusioned insurance broker stands at the precipice of her career, and as they cross paths, a detective hot in pursuit gets closer and closer to unraveling who is behind all the high-profile jewel heists along the Southern California coast. Crime 101 is written, directed, and produced by Bart Layton, based on the hit novella of the same name by Don Winslow.
Assembling the perfect cast is akin to planning a flawless heist, and veteran producer Eric Fellner, co-chair of Working Title Films, wanted A-list actors that can pull off the job with the intensity and dedication needed for Crime 101. “You can talk about them being a great cast in terms of their names, but they’re also phenomenal actors,” Fellner says. “Every single one of them brings their character into the world beautifully.”
Leading the pack is Chris Hemsworth, who plays Davis, the prolific jewel thief whose life of crime has left him isolated and mistrustful. For this character, Layton and his partner producer Dimitri Doganis took a journalistic approach and interviewed real-life criminals who specialize in pilfering precious jewels.“For us, that isn’t unusual. That is absolutely the standard place that one starts building a story. Real people, real experiences,” Doganis says. “Then you make sure that what you are doing really feels like it’s anchored in truth. I think that’s what we were always struggling for, even with something which is entirely invented. It has to plug into broader truths about who we are and how we live and what we want if it’s going to stay with people. Both jewel thieves and the policemen who chased them were really important sources to get certain details.”
Caught in the fallout of Davis’ actions is longtime insurance broker Sharon Coombs, played by Halle Berry. The string of thefts unfortunately coincide with Coombs’ elite clientele, and at a pivotal point in her career, she feels only frustration in her current position. “One of the reasons I was really attracted to this movie when Bart first talked to me was because I think it’s very poignant,” Berry says. “It speaks to who we are as women today, and women in midlife, and how we are often discarded and we are devalued. I’ve been on a tear to bring our second acts to the forefront, because so many of us have struggled in the workplace.”
Working with Hemsworth and Ruffalo is also a treat for Berry, who has nothing but praise for her co-stars. “This is one of the best movie making experiences I’ve ever had, and that’s a lot to say when you’ve been doing this for 30 years,” Berry says. “But between Chris, Bart and Mark, I have never felt more cared for, more respected, more listened to, and more supported.”
Hot on Davis’ heels is Detective “Lou” Lubesnik, played by Mark Ruffalo. Loyal to the law and obsessed with capturing those that defy it. Ruffalo was excited to land the role, and collaborated heavily with everyone involved to bring Detective Lubesnik to life. “I was really excited about this when it came along,” Ruffalo says. “My talks with Bart were great. There was a lot of back and forth about the character and just how to punch out some of those moral themes to make the suspense better.”
Hemsworth remarks that there’s more in common between their characters, who are in a high stakes game of cat-and-mouse, than one would think. “We see Mark Ruffalo as someone who has never really been given his due or been taken seriously, as he deserves,” Hemsworth says. “There’s a slight self-sabotaging nature about the way the character operates. He’s kind of at that point in his life where he’s asking the question: is this as good as it gets? Have I run my course now or is there more to be had?”
Crime 101 set in motion in Philippine cinemas starting February 18.
Photo & Video Credit: “Columbia Pictures”
