Directed by Julian Cumming and out now on DVD and Blu-Ray is Plastic, a fantastic film about credit card fraud, and god does it make me wanna commit some credit card fraud. The film stars Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey, Eragon) and Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones, Keith Allen’s testicles) and is based on a true story, which is awesome.
Imagine Catch Me If You Can mixed with Entourage, but from the UK. Plastic focuses on a group of University Students who fund their lives by doing some credit card fraud from rich people, buying expensive items that would probably go undetected on their credit cards and selling them on for a profit. This means they can walk around their university campus in the best Hugo Boss, and other famous labels that I don’t know, impressing everyone. Alfie Allen has prefaced the smug look of a complete prick and also acts the part. He blackmails the accountant of a local gangster who, via some ‘spyware’ follows the guys back to the their house and asks for two million pounds to convince him not to shoot them all in their kneecaps, stomachs and faces. Because the guys really hate being shot in any of those areas they decide to agree to the plan. Unfortunately this involves tricking Emma Rigby into revealing information that she has as a worker for American Express.
It’s at this point that I started to think that credit card fraud might not be as fun, and that befriending Alfie Allen has confirmed itself as a possible nightmare. The heist becomes a very well orchestrated event, similar to an Ocean’s film. I wanted them to get away with it so much as I love watching people be great at something like this. It wasn’t long after the film before I started pricing the clothes, watches, cars, aftershaves and the like just to see how long I’d have to work to be able to emulate the two hour film. The length of time is suicide inspiring and made credit card fraud all the more appealing again.
I love heist films, and if you have the smallest love for watching true-ish stories about people getting away with defrauding companies, then I suggest you get all over this one. It's a truly entertaining film.
4/5, Plastic = Fantastic
★★★★☆
Dave Roberts
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