John Powers

It's got an old-fashioned interest in character, especially compromised characters, and gestures at darkness rather than diving into it.

It glistens with the silver-lined optimism you find in Elmore Leonard.

The dialogue is intelligent and often witty.

The stars seem like stars.

The tension keeps building.

And now that filming has largely abandoned L.A., it's a treat to see a movie that once again captures the many textures of the city, from its taco stands and snaking freeways to its yoga mat beaches, billionaire mansions, and encampments on the streets.

Leighton lets us see how the whole plot is driven by the abyss, separating the entitlement of L.A.

's halves.

from the struggle of its countless have-nots.

Winslow's original novella appeared in a collection called Broken, and that's a handy clue to what makes this movie interesting.

Davis, Lou, and Sharon are all wounded but essentially decent people who follow specific codes of honor.

Davis's robberies take care to never, ever hurt anyone.

Lou doesn't bust innocent people just for the arrest stats or cover up police shootings like other cops.

Sharon behaves like a proper insurance agent, believing she's helping people feel safe and climbing the corporate ladder diligently.

Yet they inhabit a broken reality.

Davis's fellow crooks don't actually believe in honor among thieves.

Lou's colleagues care less about justice than covering for each other.

Sharon's bosses think that women agents age out because rich male clients only want to deal with hot young ones.

As the story builds, each must confront this broken world and decide whether or not to do some breaking of their own, starting with their own personal codes.

Naturally, I won't tell you what or who gets broken, but I will say that Crime 101 pays off neatly.