Jim Doyle is a maverick mathematician who has devised a formula to predict the fluctuations of the stock market. When he joins O'Reilly's fold, he must first prove his loyalty to the "greed is good" ethos.
Plot
The CEO of a bank, Simon O'Reily, becomes aware of the mathematician Jim Doyle, whose software makes it possible to predict stock market trends. Doyle is hired by O'Reily and supplied with the bestcomputer hardware. He enters into a relationship with his colleague Michelle Roberts, who views O'Reily's business activities critically. Meanwhile, the couple Diane and Wayne Davis, who took out a loan in a foreign currency at the bank, become insolvent. The son of the couple is found dead after a meeting with the deliverer of the eviction notice. The Davises sue the bank on the grounds that they were not informed about the risks of a loan in foreign currency. O'Reily demands a proof of loyalty from Doyle, requiring Doyle to falsely state in court that he was present as an intern in the bank's loan counseling of the Davises and that Wayne Davis was sufficiently informed. That causes the Davises to lose their lawsuit. Doyle informs his boss that a stock market crash would soon occur. Roberts finds out in Doyle's hometown that his real name is not Jim Doyle; the bank had terminated his father's credit, whereupon his father committed suicide. A man who watches Roberts on behalf of O'Reily learns the truth and warns O'Reily. O'Reily wants to stop the bank's stock sale, but right now Wayne Davis breaks into O'Reily's house to shoot him. O'Reily offers him two million dollars if Davis allows him to make a phone call. Davis realizes that it should be a very important call for the bank; He destroys the house's power-box to stop this important phone-call, which is intended to warn the bank of Doyle's plans, and leaves the estate. Stock prices initially perform as expected, but then they rise instead of falling. The bank goes bankrupt after losing $50 billion. Doyle leaves the country. He asks Roberts to come after him before departure, which she refuses. The married couple Davis bring an account statement at an ATM, on the unexpected $727,000 credits - a reference to the opening credits - are. They want to clarify the matter in the neighboring bank branch, but this is one of the numerous branches, which were closed by order of O'Reily. They decide to keep the money.
The Bank grossed $2,515,917 at the box office in Australia. Reviews of the film were mixed. Review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes scored The Bank at 65% from 36 professional reviews, but 45% from 11 "top critic" reviews. Australian film review site Urban Cinefile's three reviewers summarized the film as "favourable". The New York Times concluded "As far-fetched as the movie is... conveys an engaging zest for upper-crust mischief. The two stories come together in the hurtling final lap as Wayne confronts Simon in his country house while Jim puts his perfected program into operation. The upshot is a whopper of an ending that is as silly as it is satisfying." The New York Post gave the film 1.5/4 stars, stating "Despite a crafty premise and a clever kink in the tale that almost saves it, Connolly isn't dexterous enough to achieve the Hitchockian level of suspense the movie needs." The Los Angeles Times stated "Connolly might well have constructed a brisker, more exciting picture with more vivid and involving characters. As it is, the film takes too long to become truly compelling."
