Vault (2019)

Directed by: Tom DeNucci | 99 minutes | action, crime | Actors: Don Johnson, Chazz Palminteri, Theo Rossi, Clive Standen, Samira Wiley, William Forsythe, Sean Ringgold, Chuck Zito, Vincent Pastore, Eric Lutes, Burt Young, Antonio Cupo. Dorothy Lyman, John Fiore, Ken Baltin, Gillian Williams, Armen Garo

Mafia movies will never go out of style, and neither will productions that are “based on true facts.” Director Tom DeNucci – a very Mafioso-esque name, but that aside – thought he had the winning combination in his hands by turning a real crime drama into a film. This attempt resulted in ‘Vault’, a film that did not make it to the silver screen and for which an anonymous existence in the digital video library threatens. Right or wrong?

In ‘Vault’ a special piece of American history is highlighted. This is one of the largest robberies in the history of the United States. Two petty thieves decide to crack a safe. This money store houses an amount of thirty million dollars. What the duo fail to realize, however, is that this sum of money belongs to the local Rhode Island mafia. Not the type of people you want to have trouble with…

DeNucci has tried to create an exciting film about a special history. It’s certainly interesting to learn about this now forgotten headline, but unfortunately the director had a rather poor budget and that breaks this production. Without a lot of money you will have to be creative and that is precisely what is lacking. ‘Vault’ is a straightforward mafia movie without many surprises. Paranoia and the constant threat of violence should cause tension, but the cast doesn’t know what to do with the script.

The acting is very flat, causing the attention to fade quickly. It also doesn’t help that the soundtrack is not very noteworthy and the tension is quite flexible. The first half of the film is well put together and tries to evoke a certain subcutaneous feeling of unease, but that nullifies the second half. It seems as if DeNucci was in a hurry and decided to crank up the tempo, making ‘Vault’ seem rather rushed. This would have been more enjoyable if more attention had been paid to the script and casting.