Today’s quick review: Breaking the Bank. Charles Bunbury (Kelsey Grammer) is the chairman of Tuftons, a bank that his been in his wife’s (Tamsin Greig) family for over 200 years. But when a bad investment decision leaves Tuftons vulnerable to a takeover bid, Charles abruptly finds himself with no job, no wife, and no prayer of getting them back. Charles must work his way up from the bottom to regain his dignity and make amends for his mistakes.
Breaking the Bank is a comedy about a banker who loses it all after a risky decision. Kelsey Grammer stars as Charles Bunbury, whose affable personality hides the fact that he knows next to nothing about banking. The movie gets most of its humor from dropping Charles into situations he isn’t prepared to handle, whether it’s courting a buyer for the bank (John Michael Higgins) or making peace between his top employees (Matthew Horne and Danny Morgan).
However, in spite of a promising setup, Breaking the Bank has a hard time taking its story where it wants to go. The movie is filled with false starts as Charles tries and fails to salvage the pieces of his life. His constant jokes and deflections make him endearing at first, but they quickly wear thin. The combination of halting character growth and witticisms that aren’t meant to be funny ultimately make Charles a hard character to root for.
These flaws are enough to hamstring what would otherwise be a charming comedy. The wittier parts of Charles’ personality, the basic trajectory of his comeback attempt, and the financial misadventures along the way do give Breaking the Bank some good material to work with. But the way the movie handles its plot and main character keeps it from finding true success. The result is a patchy watch with some decent scenes but limited payoff overall.
For a drama that tells a similar story with more style, try Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. For a more factual comedy about banking malfeasance, try The Big Short.
4.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for modest potential let down by weak execution.