Lift follows the attempt of a group of thieves to steal gold worth $500 million, a job that requires them to risk their lives. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Cyrus is a good-hearted thief who never steals from people who do not deserve it.
Cyrus and his crew, consisting of five people, successfully acquire a single-edition NFT at an auction and sell it for a significantly higher price on the black market.
An Interpol agent, Abby Gladwell, who shares a history with Cyrus, pursues them but fails to catch them.
The two of them met in Paris about a year ago when they were both undercover — Abby for a job and Cyrus for a heist. They fell in love and were together for five days.
Abby finally manages to find evidence that links a theft to Cyrus’ crew, but her boss wants her to work with Cyrus instead of arresting him.
Lars Jorgensen, a powerful man, is planning a terrorist attack with a hacker group. To stop Jorgensen, Interpol needs to prevent him from paying the hacker group in gold.
Now, it is up to Abby to convince Cyrus and his crew to steal gold bars worth $500 million from a man as dangerous as Jorgensen.
Performances
Kevin Hart, known for his comedic prowess in various films, unfortunately, falls short of impressing in Lift.
Hart struggles to capture Cyrus’ charming elegance. His portrayal of Cyrus lacks the smooth and convincing delivery of the character’s charisma.
On the other hand, Gugu Mbatha-Raw fits into the role of Abby quite well. Her sincere performance convincingly portrays a character helplessly falling in love with Cyrus.
While Cyrus’ crew does not receive much individual attention, actors like Úrsula Corberó and Billy Magnussen, seem to enjoy playing their parts, which only makes the audience wish to see more of them.
Positives
Lift has all the elements of a cliché heist film. There is a high-stakes job, an evil villain, and a good-hearted thief.
Additionally, there are enough action scenes to keep the audience entertained, and while they are not very realistic, they are enjoyable to watch.
It is the kind of film that feels familiar, and the sense of familiarity brings comfort. The audience can enjoy it without delving too deeply into the intricacies of the whys and hows of the plot.
Negatives
Cyrus has a crew, and the actors play their parts well, but none of the characters leave an impression, as they are not fleshed out.
Apart from the characters, the film is forgettable. It lacks uniqueness, and the plot does not deviate much from the formula of many other heist films.
Most of the jokes in the film do not land. There are times when the film gets too preoccupied with the technicalities of the heist, which does not work in its favor.
The scenes intended to portray Jorgensen as the big, bad villain, including one where Jorgensen’s right-hand man threatens to kill a traitor, fail to fulfill their purpose and instead, end up being funny.
Verdict
Lift is a moderately entertaining film. It is not dull, but it is forgettable, as the film does not offer anything unique to the audience.
Lift
Director: F. Gary Gray
Date Created: 2024-01-12 13:32
2.5
Also Read: Lift (2024) summary and ending explained