The Pay Day

A computer programmer infiltrates a building in order to obtain vital information for a crook.

Jennifer (Frye) is an IT expert who loses her job and finds herself in a difficult financial situation. She is approached by Gates (Callow), a crime boss who convinces her (and blackmails her) to secretly enter an office building, acquire secret data from a computer using a USB stick and bring it back to him. In return, she will be generously rewarded. As she sets of to complete this risky task, she encounters all sorts of obstacles and meets George (Benjamin), who is there for the similar reasons.

This is an entertaining crime comedy with plenty of clever dialogue and humour. The majority of the narrative takes place inside the building mentioned above, with Jennifer attempting to succeed in her mission, starting a rivalry with George and eventually teaming up with him in order to find a way to escape the building together after the police arrive. The rapport that develops between Jennifer and George is key to the script, as it significantly moves the plot forward and it is amusing watching those two as they argue between them and try to avoid the police.

The feature contains interesting characters and entertaining performances are provided by Frye, Benjamin and Callow. Jennifer is a good and intelligent person who finds herself being forced to commit a crime. George is a charming and cheeky experienced criminal, who can still come across as likeable. Gates is basically the antagonist, a cunning crime lord with charisma.

The soundtrack is rich, with a great deal of jazz music. Michael Lesley deserves commendations for the creative editing that includes effective use of split screen and wipe techniques. Praise also goes to Phil Thomas for the amazing work on the cinematography.

This is a heist comedy film with an intriguing plot, interesting characters and well-written dialogue. It loses its grip during the final act, with an epilogue that feels overlong, nevertheless, that does not prevent it from being an enjoyable viewing with plot twists, clever humour, great character development, romance and good on-screen chemistry between Frye and Benjamin.