Madeleine Chaplain’s The Bank Manager is built on a heist so clever that no one in outback Queensland was ever caught. In 1932, with drought devastating Australia and the Depression squeezing everyone’s bank accounts dry, a farmer named Chip is on the verge of losing his farm. He rides into a dusty campsite near Cloncurry, Queensland, plan in hand. There, he meets two brothers, Jack (Jordan Abbey-Young) and Dingo (Luke Chaplain), waiting by the campfire. The plan is simple: save his farm. How? Rob the local bank. No guns, no drama, and no one else in the loop. Just the three of them. Chip is in charge, and he intends to keep it that way.
Phase one centers on the bank manager (Gyton Grantley), who turns up at a lakeside picnic by the river. He couldn’t be more out of place — he’s the only one in a suit. Chip offers him a bottle of rum. The reception is cold — the bank manager knows Chip is behind on his payments. Unbeknownst to Chip, the brothers brought in a fourth member, Peach (Madeleine Chaplain) — their sister. According to the plan, she catches the bank manager’s eye and invites him for a swim. His wife probably wouldn’t approve, but off he goes anyway. With the bank manager conveniently distracted, Chip, Jack, and Dingo make their move on his keys. The plan is clean, but that’s never the case.
“With the bank manager conveniently distracted, Chip, Jack, and Dingo make their move on his keys.”
The Bank Manager is based on outback folklore from almost 100 years ago. During the drought and depression, local farmers robbed two banks in Cloncurry, getting away with 14,000 Australian pounds. The Bank Manager is the story of the clever, cheeky, and distinctly Australian way they pulled it off.
As a short film, The Bank Manager is nice and tight. Director Madeleine Chaplain creates a thrilling Western in Cloncurry, blending the past with the present. While the events took place 90 years ago, she mixes a modern music soundtrack to give the story some energy and creates a lot of suspense without firing a shot. Think Ocean’s Eleven, but in the Outback. Now add a solid cast of Australian actors, and you have yourself a short film that could turn into a feature at the slightest drop of cash. Who knows, banks have a lot more money these days.
For screening information, visit the The Bank Manager official website.
"…Think Ocean's Eleven, but in the Outback."
