The correct answer is: The Heist.
I'm seeing this in the NYT: "Watch These Six Heist Movies/If you thought that heist at the Louvre sounded like something out of a movie, this collection of heist films just might be for you."
My first reaction was: This is not my genre. I haven't seen these things. The 6 in this article are: "How to Steal a Million" (1966), "The Thomas Crown Affair"(1999), "The Great Muppet Caper" (1981), "Hudson Hawk" (1991), "Ocean’s 8" (2018), and "The Mastermind" (2025).
No to all of them, including the earlier version of "The Thomas Crown Affair" and to all of the "Ocean's" movies. I thought I might be able to assert that I've never seen a heist movie. I invited Grok to test me to the point where I could accurately advance that claim. I had to admit I'd seen "Reservoir Dogs" (1992), and then, delving deeper, I remembered "The Asphalt Jungle" and "The Killing."
I blogged "The Killing" here, a couple years ago: "Highly amusing. The women were hilarious. It had Vince Edwards. It had a poodle and a parrot. Plus the great Sterling Hayden (last seen by me in 'The Asphalt Jungle')."
Anyway, are you into heist films? Are you dismayed by the theft of the crown jewels of France? Does it seem wrong — or oh so right — to watch heist films in response to the big real-life heist? Is that NYT article in poor taste?
पोस्ट्स
१४२ टिप्पण्या:
The Brain 1969. David Niven, Eli Wallach, John Paul Belmondo
Reading NYT is in poor taste.
The Great Train Robbery
You're a big Mamet fan, aren't you? Have you not seen "The Heist"?
David Mamet’s “Heist” with an incredible cast. Or, the classic “Rafifi” which is still great 70 years after it was released.
aww man...I was giving women credit for being the thieves. That was progress, not I see they were just the fuck ups...
The Hot Rock. Unavailable for decades, still remember how much I enjoyed it.
I like how in the later Oceans movies, maybe the first one with Julia Roberts, the crooks are listing off options from the heist playbook and decide on an a la carte- lookie loo and a bundle of joy . I give leftie strategists credit for having a list like that- global pandemic and a widespread voter fraud...
From the description of the heist it is the antithesis of these "heist capers". It seems like a terribly amateur but effective smash and grab. This actually makes it worse.
Although wildly popular in its time one of the worst heist movies I ever sawn was The Sting. Like the Danny Ocean movies, way, way (way!) too self conscious.
Sometimes Mission Impossible is in the heist genre.
If you are into “No Kings”, then supporting the heist of the “Crown Jewels” seems on brand for the NYT. Taste is a matter of opinion. Yet, the answer is no. I don’t feel interested in watching a depiction of stealing things in order to enjoy real life stealing of things.
I might rewatch “Hudson Hawk” in memory of the ailing Bruce Willis, but it is a silly movie. Good for a fun, meaningless, popcorn flick.
Topkapi, a 1964 film with Peter Ustinov and Melina Mercouri, remains my fave heist film.
Most heist films suffer from the problems associated with previously impoverished criminals' inability to split the proceeds fairly and adapt to their newfound wealth without attracting unwelcome attention.
That's said, Botch Casually and the Somedunce Kid was a perfect heist film.
Yes, the Mamet "Heist" was fun.
"How To Steal A Million" is also fun, with Peter O'Toole, Audrey Hepburn and Milo O'Shea. AND Milo O'Shea's eyebrows. One of the morally "redeeming" features of the plot is that they're stealing something they already own (or strictly that Milo and Audrey own) so that the "heist" can be seen as morally justifiable. But mostly fun.
The Great Muppet Caper is a delight, and I will accept no disputes on this matter.
Losing the crown jewels is regrettable. Losing the family jewels is unforgivable.
This is exactly my genre although I haven’t seen most of the movies mentioned. Thanks for the recommendations. Must call in sick today so I can watch them. Just watched Forger (2016). Excellent. Movies I would add: To Catch a Thief, Baby Driver, Inside Man
Odd that the article didn't mention the great French heist film Rififi (1955).
Logan Lucky 2017 Channing Tatum Daniel Craig and the appropriately named Adam Driver
David Mamet's Heist really belongs on that list but I guess Mamet is now an untouchable. Also, I think The Score with Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton belongs on that list. I would argue that Reservoir Dogs isn't a heist movie at all since the robbery is an off screen event for the most part- it is the aftermath that is the subject of the movie.
“The Score” (Edward Norton goes partial retard, plus DeNiro & Brando)’ & “Heist” (Hackman, Woods, Devito).
Ocean's Eleven is a lot of fun. Ocean's Twelve has a lot of good elements in it but I found the twist to be sort of mundane and out of left field. The other Ocean's movies were terrible.
Mamet’s “Heist”… Hackman… DeVito… Delroy Lindo… Sam Rockwell…
👍👍
If you want to expand a bit the definition of a heist movie, you can include con artist movies like The Sting (Howard, shame on you!) and Mamet's House of Games. Also, James Foley's Confidence.
Not torture murder. Not terrorist massacres. Not assassination. Not rape. Not child abuse. Poisoning? Arson? Treason?
...evading arrest, mortgage fraud, meth cooking, spying, political corruption...
I don't like crime movies, and I haven't seen five of those listed, but I have seen The Great Muppet Caper. That is an excellent movie. My personal favorite Muppet movie, great comedy, great music.
And the article is wrong, it's not a heist movie. In a heist movie, the criminals are the protagonists, in The Great Muppet Caper, the Muppets are working to foil the crime, while the criminals are minor characters, bad people who get their just deserts in the end.
And while the central element of the movie isn't a heist/robbery, Michael Mann's Heat is an amazing movie.
Sexual harassment. Any romcom.
The best comment I read about the heist of the crown jewels was by comedian Mark Normand who posted a video from the NY Post showing where the jewels were taken from. His comment: "Its harder to get deodorant at CVS.".
A tale of our times.
I love heist movies. Two of my favs are: Inside Man (Spike Lee, Denzel Washington) and Heist (David Mamet, Gene Hackman).
The Mamet-Hackman movie is not well known, but I really love it.
I haven't seen most of these, and have forgotten the ones I did see.
And no mention of "Make Mine Mink"?
"You're a big Mamet fan, aren't you? Have you not seen "The Heist"?"
I have news for you. I haven't seen "Glengarry Glen Ross."
That heist in Paris, with little to no basic precautions, like cameras, makes want to root for the thieves.
"Odd that the article didn't mention the great French heist film Rififi (1955)"
No, but Grok did, after it saw that I'd seen and liked "The Asphalt Jungle" and "The Killing."
"Here are a few more notable pre-1970 heist films (distinct from the ones you’ve mentioned) to see if anything else jogs your memory...
1. Rififi (1955): This French film has a famous 30-minute silent heist where a crew breaks into a jewelry store by drilling through the ceiling, using tricks like foam to silence alarms. It’s all tension, no dialogue or music during the job. The aftermath is pure betrayal. Any memory of a dead-quiet robbery or a French noir vibe?
2. The Big Caper (1957): A lesser-known noir where a crook plans a bank heist to rob a Marine payroll. The crew poses as a family to blend in, but personal tensions and a nosy cop unravel things. Recall a heist with a fake family setup or a small-town bank job gone wrong?
3. Bob le Flambeur (1956): Another French classic about a gambler planning a casino heist in Deauville. The prep is detailed—blueprints, rehearsals—but gambling addiction and a snitch mess it up. Ever seen a stylish crook in a trench coat casing a casino or a heist derailed by a roulette table?
Classic Heist Tropes: Beyond what you’ve seen (Asphalt Jungle’s safecracking, The Killing’s racetrack chaos, Reservoir Dogs’s warehouse standoff), older heist films often feature a charismatic leader, a double-crossing dame, or a tense getaway foiled by bad luck...."
David, I meant to mention Inside Man- thanks for getting to it- a great movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRDjZM5L978
The French seem to think that "le brackage," the heist, was tragic.. and funny, maybe more funny than tragic. Pink Panther stuff. You can see at about 7:57, the boarded up window, which is now a tourist attraction.
Could have been Macron trying to figure out how France is going to pay its debts, now that he blew the budget in a deal with the socialists to stay in power.
If the theft of the Mona Lisa failed to drive home some kind of lesson. I must conclude that the French deserved to be despised. Even though, I don't personally know any French European person of the old continent persuasion.
Lavender Hill Mob - who can go wrong with an Alec Guinness heist movie. The NYT provides that they are still tasteless. I'll also second Topkapi.
"No, the French Connection was not a single heist; it was a massive, international heroin smuggling operation, not a robbery. The 1971 movie "The French Connection" depicted one specific bust by New York City police of a shipment of heroin, which was based on real-life events involving real detectives who uncovered the much larger network."
Never watched "The French Connection" (1971). I have seen car chase clips.
"Ann Althouse said...
I have news for you. I haven't seen "Glengarry Glen Ross."
No steak knives for you.
No Italian Job remake? Double heist.
The Italian Job. 1069. Best driving ever and great Quincy Jones opening song. Michael Caine. Great ending.
The Bank Job and The League of GENTLEMEN
"Killing Zoe" is a failed-heist movie that is quite disturbing for other reasons. I'd probably watch that one again.
@Justabill Afghanistan Bananastan!
Really good documentary about a heist:
The Great Train Robbery (2012). It’s about the 1963 robbery of a mail train in England. The thieves weren’t prepared for the massive size of the haul, thereby not anticipating the response. The size of their take led to their downfall.
Ann Althouse said...
"I have news for you. I haven't seen "Glengarry Glen Ross."
Heck, Althouse hasn't even seen my Bob Dylan movie (as far as I know).
If a movie were to be any more in her wheelhouse it would be parked in her living room.
I am Laslo.
Theres den of thieves heist with bigger stakes but those were serious thieves ex marine commandoes also the point break remake
As for Meade, the perfect movie for him might be my film "Duluth".
https://www.laslofilms.com/duluth
In 1978, a staunch organization of anti-Communists protect Duluth, Nebraska from Communist Peril.
It is almost a True Story.
I am Laslo.
Spanish Netflix series called La Casa De Papel (Money Heist) is pretty good. I'd skip the second heist though...
"Laslo Spatula said...
As for Meade, the perfect movie for him might be my film "Duluth".
https://www.laslofilms.com/duluth
In 1978, a staunch organization of anti-Communists protect Duluth, Nebraska from Communist Peril."
Nope, Begley.
Oh no, not seen "How to Steal a Million"?
" I can't drive a stolen car!"
"Same principle, four forward gears, one reverse."
You are missing out.
Its a very lame heist film
Den of thieves involved robbing the biggest bank you could imagine
As for whether the NYTimes touting Heist movies is in poor taste, as the French say, "Chacun a son gout."
Thank you all for the great suggestions. Best post ever.
https://x.com/Osint613/status/1981012468215525596
Alternate answer to the title question. The con.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and that sort of thing.
What is the crime that you can respond to by openly choosing to watch movies about crimes like that?
Not torture murder. Not terrorist massacres. Not assassination. Not rape. Not child abuse. Poisoning? Arson? Treason?
------------
Sure you could!
Hollywood has delivered flicks in all those genres, ann!
Female DEI hire was in charge of Louvre "security" (wink).
I was surprised how far down 'The Italian Job' was, in the comments. No 'Dog Day Afternoon'? How about 'The Bank Job'? Geez.
Heist is "valued" at >$100MM.
But what if all the jewels are cut into smaller, more fence-able and untraceable ones. Wouldn't the haul be greater?
Lots of things needed to pull all of that off though. Cooperative stone-cutters (not the Homer Simpson kind!) and a bunch of willing buyers. All of which means oodles and oodles of middlemen with their hands out.
The bank job and inside man are about misdirects the commisioning party wants something
I love that one of the six is a Muppets movie, seems kinda like a slap in the face to Hollywood.
The set up is the best part and this incidence was just terrible
David Mamet wrote and directed “Heist” in 2001 starring Gene Hackman and Danny DeVito. It’s a smart film with some unexpected plot twists, and because it’s Mamet you know it’s got sharp dialogue.
Goodfellas was (at least in parts) a heist movie, albeit without a feel-good ending.
Little-known but fondly remembered, "Grand Slam" with Janet Leigh and Edward G., and score by Lalo Schifrin. All that and Rio too.
Yeah the luftansa job not as interesting
There was also a famous bank breakin in france in 1975 which robert daley retconned to the 50s
I’m glad it was the 1999 “Thomas Crown Affair” that was specified and not the 1968 version. I thought Brosnan was a much more believable bored billionaire than McQueen, and Rene Russo past her prime was vastly better than Dunaway at the height of her career.
This theft wasn't "amateur" at all. If it was so simple a caveman could do it, it would have been done before. The tools have been available for years. The thieves determined that the display cases, while alarmed, were easily breached, the windows to access that floor, the same. They devised a plan to exploit the Louvre's vulnerabilities and executed it almost flawlessly, somehow losing that one crown their only fault. Though simple, it was terribly effective. Attack where the defenses are weakest.
Yes thomas crown i kind of like the steve mcqueen take on it
I’m a fan of the con as well. Criminal (2004) Is a remake of the Argentinian movie 9 Queens. But I like Criminal more. 9 Queens was remade many times in many different languages. My favorite con movie I can’t mention because it would give away the plot. *sigh*
A good heist movie is always appreciated. However, the things that make a good heist movie,( complexity, action, drama, twists and turns) are off putting to my long suffering wife. I'll just go watch "Master and Commander" again.
The last heist movie we went out of way to see was "Entrapment" 1999 with Zeta-Jones and Connery.
Snatch is a heist-adjacent film. It's pretty good.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thief_(film)
Thief marks the first film appearance of actors Dennis Farina, William Petersen, James Belushi and Robert Prosky. At the time a Chicago police officer, Farina appears as a mob henchman. Conversely, John Santucci (real name: John Schiavone[11]), who plays the role of corrupt cop Urizzi, was a recently paroled thief on whom the character Frank was partly based, and acted as a technical adviser on the film.[11][12] Another actor in the film, W.R. ‘Bill’ Brown, was also a former safecracker and associate of Joseph Scalise.[12] Chuck Adamson (Detective Ancell) and Nick Nickeas (Nick)[13] were also Chicago police officers, while Gavin MacFadyen, who plays Detective Boresko, was a journalist who later served as adviser to Mann’s 1999 film The Insider.[14]
I like To Catch a Thief. Hitchcock and Kelly and Grant. Tho it doesn't have The Windmills of Your Mind darnit.
"The Jokers" with Oliver Reed and Michael Crawford stealing the British crown jewels. An old middle-of-the-night film that's left a pleasant sense of style but no specific memory.
The British made a great number of heist movies in the 1950's and 60's including: The Lady Killers. The Lavender Hill Mob, Robbery, The League of Gentlemen, Payroll, Cash on Demand, The Italian Job, The Good Die Young and The Professionals. Heist movies are a genre of crime films. And there are many of them because people [maybe men more so] enjoy heist movies as they enjoy murder mysteries, spy dramas or car chase movies.
One of my favorite tv series I discovered on Amazon is The Rouges (1964-5) with David Niven, Charles Boyer and Gig Young. Each episode is a con with the con artists targeting a con man.
Why does the NYT include "Ocean's Eight" (the chick version which was generally panned) and not any of the other "Ocean" films (which were wildly successful)?
Never mind--It's a rhetorical question. They just can't help themselves.
TobyTucker said:
"They devised a plan to exploit the Louvre's vulnerabilities and executed it almost flawlessly, somehow losing that one crown their only fault. Though simple, it was terribly effective. Attack where the defenses are weakest."
I read that the defensive measures around the jewels had recently been downgraded. There was no longer real time monitoring in that room.
Entertainment Industry Advert as NYT's story.
Anyway, I loved the cast of "Heist" but the story lacked soul. Its as if Mamet watched a bunch of Heist movies and just copied bits and pieces from other movies.
The UK movie - League of Gentlemen (1960) is a fun heist movie or maybe its a "bank robber" movie. But the focus is on the characters and not the heist.
$ - with Warren Beatty has to be one of most commercial, paint by the numbers heist movies ever. Avoid.
Oceans 11 - the new version is much better than the old Sinatra one.
Peter O'Toole/Hepburn one is fun due to the cast.
The score has a great performance by everyone involved except for land whale Brando, who just mumbles and pauses while the lines are feed into his ear piece.
Who's minding the mint was a funny 60s Heist comedy I saw as a Kid on TV. I wonder if its funny today.
@ga6 I must be the only film fan on Earth who doesn't care for "Heat", but I thought "Thief" was great.
Crossing lines a canadian series had some interesting heists as well
"Curious George said...
"Ann Althouse said...
I have news for you. I haven't seen "Glengarry Glen Ross."
No steak knives for you."
I regret not going with "Mitch and Murray are not happy."
Almost every Star Wars movie is a heist movie, or has significant heisty content.
Every TV series, if it lasts long enough, will do a heist episode. Mad Men had a good one where the core cast steal their book of business from Sterling Cooper to form their own agency. Many I Love Lucy eps are heisty.
The Star Wars and Trek series all have heist episodes. Trek does a lot of them on the holodeck, and Wars often creates a planet-of-the-week, both so the showrunners can do an hommage to some auteur.
Then there are series that are mostly heists. Leverage and Hustle, while con series, usually have at least one heisty element to the con-of-the-week. CC, JSM
Gambit starring Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine
"How to Steal a Million" (1966), is remedial-con-heist
Instapundit has a photo of the detective investigating the French theft - with a comment “he must be the thief” Thief or cop - straight out of the movies.
This is supposedly a photo of an actual French detective investigating the Louvre jewel heist.
Pretty chic.
Con games a genre all to themselves. One reason why, perhaps, is a good con, or even a bad one, doesn't involve violence. And even though the persons pulling the cons are criminal, they can be made out to be heroes if they con a bad guy! For example, 77 episodes of Leverage with 7.9 on IMDB and 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. My wife and I binge watched it. It's successor doesn't work as well. Of course, that's my opinion as IMDB rates it higher then the original at 8.1.
where does The Assassination Bureau fit in?
diana rigg, oliver reed, telly savalas
Joe Bar thanks for the link. Will he solve the crime (playing against type) or will he fulfill the role of the bumbling detective?
’In 1978, a staunch organization of anti-Communists protect Duluth, Nebraska from Communist Peril.’
Watching it now - thanks for the link! :)
For gritty, you could go with Mel Gibson in 'Payback', which in a way was better as a genre flick than the original 'Point Blank' with Lee Marvin. John Boorman made Marvin do silly and awkward things and it really took away from the plot.
I've probably seen the "Heist", but I don't recall it. I'm going to see it this week though, one way or another. Let's see:
it's written by Mamet
Lead role is Hackman
Supporting roles by Sam Rockwell & Ricky Jay
What"s not to like?
I"m not a big DeVito fan, but I'll bet this movie blows through that pretty efficiently.
1974’s “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” with Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam is an enjoyable movie.
"Rififi" is tops for me.
One thing that separates it from the others is that the heist is the centerpiece of the movie, not its culmination. It goes on to show what happens after the heist-- (spoiler alert) they all get killed, leaving a widow with small son disgusted with all of them.
Not exactly the good feeling you get from the movies with a successful heist.
Thats probably the archetypal heist film, riffed by many others
There was a movie where some bad guys tried to steal a bunch of bearer bonds from the vault in Nakatomi Plaza.
It was pretty good.
Ricky Jay was awful. Is he a friend of Mamet's?
Why do I this feel like it’s going to more like the Pink Panther than any of the other heist films?
Ethan Hunt stole the CIA NOC list... now that was a heist!
Is "The Orchid Thief" a heist movie? Maybe that is pushing the genre too far.
There was a movie where some bad guys tried to steal a bunch of bearer bonds from the vault in Nakatomi Plaza.
That was a Christmas movie not a heist movie.
Human rites performed for social, clinical, criminal, political, and climate progress, for one. Dirty Dancing made plain the insidious, empathetic contortions that have and continue to be executed. And so on and so forth.
I guess the question is, is the heist an element of the movie, like Die Hard, or the point of the movie, like Ocean's Eleven (the rest of the Ocean's movies never happened)
Diana Rigg. Oy!
"Every TV series, if it lasts long enough, will do a heist episode."
Dick van Dyke Show, "Obnoxious, Offensive, Egomaniac, Etc." The writers give Alan their own copy of that week's script, which contains a plethora of insults about Alan. They must retrieve it before Alan sees it.
What’s amazing about the pics I've seen of the Louvre heist is just how commonplace-looking the setup is. It really was a case of hiding in plain sight.
We’ve all walked by situations like this in our daily life: a small crew near a piece of heavy equipment, everyone decked out in high visibility vests, looking for all the world as people who are there because they’re meant to be. That’s what’s so fascinating about this whole thing.
Stray thought: does "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" count or is that heist-adjacent?
This American Life had a great episode about a heist of rare feathers from a museum storage vault (closet really). I highly recommend it. Apparently there is a huge market for rare feathers.
No mention yet of Kelly's Heroes? Tsk tsk...
Oh I forgot to mention that "How to Steal a Million" has music by ... Johnny Williams.
KellyM, I once broke into my father's house, through a window on the street side. I dragged a ladder around from behind the garage, the toolkit from the car, and had huge workgloves stuffed into my back pocket. Took me ten minutes, in broad daylight, with zero reaction from passersby.
@Fred D: you’re not related to Nichole Mitchell, are you?
@Fred Drinkwater: this is exactly what I mean. If you appear confident, and act like you belong there, no one is going to gainsay you.
Remember the scene in "RED" where Helen Mirren is trying to bluff her way into a fancy gala without an invitation? In most instances, say a wedding reception, she'd succeed easily. We see what we want to see.
What is the crime that you can respond to by openly choosing to watch movies about crimes like that?
There's a porno movie entitled 'Meter Maid.'
There's also a 'Meter Maid 2, The Violation.'
Diversity is our strength.
Kelly M--The Friends of Eddie Coyle is a really good movie. And book. Higgins knew the people he wrote about.
T.V. series "Masterminds" , true stories like this example. Link is a list of episodes, including one where the thief hides inside bank room containing safety deposit boxes, robs every box after bank is closed, replaces the boxes, then ambles out the door when bank re-opens and unlocks the door..
S1.E4 ∙ The Riviera Job
2003
No one believed that ANYONE would be able to penetrate the four-foot thick walls of the Societé Generale, until bank employees arrived to find the vault door welded shut--from the inside. They had not reckoned with Albert Spaggiari. Entering the sewer system of Nice, France, his team tunneled through the rock and concrete with drills, hammers and chisels. They opened the safety deposit boxes; the appraiser they brought along sorting out the most valuable loot. The total of cash, jewels, and gold bullion was over $12 million--largest in French history. Spaggiari was never convicted, escaping from a judge's office window! He even wrote a book about the "Riviera Bank Heist."
.
More along the lines of this heist is 'Ordinary Decent Criminal' (2000) which has a bold heist by Kevin Spacey's Irish gang.
And in the book 'The Loo Sanction', (`973) by Trevanian, he describes a way to steal a painting by replacing it with a fake that they slash so any questions are pawned off on the restoration. It follows the character, Jonathan Hemlock, that Clint Eastwood played in 'The Eiger Sanction'. The technique was used by thieves and the author would no longer let his books be made into movies. Rodney William Whitaker, a university professor was identified as the man behind the penname Trevanian after his death in 2005.
"TobyTucker said...
This theft wasn't "amateur" at all. If it was so simple a caveman could do it, it would have been done before."
Lots of 10 minute smash and grabs happening. Cell phones and internet can pinpoint police locations and routines.
I forgot about jules dassins topkapi based on an ambler tale
The Grey Fox, with Richard Farnsworth.
"In this film based on a true story, Bill Miner (Richard Farnsworth) is a fearless stagecoach robber in the days of the Wild West. After he is arrested and jailed for more than 30 years, he re-emerges into a bustling new world. But Miner cannot give up his old ways. Soon he pulls off a successful railway heist and goes on the lam in British Columbia, where he falls for bold photographer Katherine Flynn (Jackie Burroughs)."
flawless execution as in ....
In Flawless (2007), set in 1960s London, an elderly janitor, played by Michael Caine, convinces Laura Quinn, the only female executive at the London Diamond Corporation, portrayed by Demi Moore, to help him steal a handful of diamonds. The film explores themes of sexism in the workplace and the lengths to which individuals will go to achieve their goals. The story unfolds as they devise a plan to execute the heist, highlighting the challenges they face in a male-dominated environment.
Whoops! Grand Slam was scored by Ennio Morricone, not Lalo Schifrin. The Times regrets the error.
I haven't read all of the comments, so these may have been mentioned, but two of my favorite heist movies is the William Powell, Kay Francis "Jewel Robbery" and the Herbert Marshall, Miriam Hopkins, and Kay Francis "Trouble in Paradise", both from the early 1930s. In Jewel Robbery, Powell gives the cop who is supposed to be watching the jewelry store marijuana cigarettes and in "Trouble in Paradise", Hopkins and Powell are two thieves who get in each others way. Kay Francis is the victim in each, though becomes an accomplice. Fun movies with great actors.
"are" not "is"
My favorites?
Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock, and Two Loaded Barrels and Snatch. Also, The Italian Job, both versions, and Sexy Beast.
Security guards everywhere may disagree with this entire post. But I agree Killing Zoe is a great movie.
Trevanian was a hell of a writer, I am guessing that his IQ was in the neighborhood of 180. I think another problem he had with The Eiger Sanction movie was that the stunts were extremely dangerous and one of the crew was killed in the making of it. The scene with Clint Eastwood and George Kennedy sitting on the top of that tiny mountain plateau, and it was really them and they were really there took you right out of the movie. I got scared for Clint Eastwood just watching it.
Anyway, are you into heist films? no
Are you dismayed by the theft of the crown jewels of France? Yes
Does it seem wrong — or oh so right — to watch heist films in response to the big real-life heist? It's OK.
Is that NYT article in poor taste? No, Their political news articles are far poorer in taste.
Not really into heist movies, but did enjoy The Italian Job and The Bank Job (Jason Statham).
The best ever is "Rififi' (1955), directed by Jules Dassin --it happens to be about a jewel heist in Paris
My first reaction was: Paywall.
“ richlb said...
You're a big Mamet fan, aren't you? Have you not seen ‘The Heist’?”
This is a totally underrated, richly cast movie. Classic Mamet. (His repeated use of “lame” as a noun notwithstanding.)
‘Ficta said...
@ga6 I must be the only film fan on Earth who doesn't care for "Heat", but I thought "Thief" was great.‘
De gust us non est disputandem, but … damn.
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