Thief (1981)

Very Cool!!!

It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

I only came across 'Thief' recently and enjoyed it thoroughly. Although I'm not big on action films, the camera work and direction in 'Thief' was compelling to watch and ahead of its time in this 1981 film. I liked how Mann gave his characters a three dimensional quality, something we hardly see in action films anymore. We actually see how thieves prepare their heist and break into an impenetrable safe. 'Thief' was a bridge from the '70's character studies to the '80's action story lines. James Caan did some great work in this film, but he could have played it a half note lower with less dialogue. He tends to overact, but when he's on the money he's really good.

Plot In A Paragraph: Becoming closer to his dream of leading a normal life, a professional safecracker (James Caan) agrees to do a job for the mafia, who have other plans for him.How on earth has this movie managed to evade me. I'd never even heard of it, till somebody suggested looking at the filmography of Mann. It's amazing. I'd call it near perfect. For me, thrillers of late, tend to be less thrilling, due to the combination of the same chases, sex scenes, fights and twists. Thief is a breath of fresh air. Even though it was made in 1981, it has the feel of a 70's movie.I'd go so far as to say this is James Caan's best movie. I think the monologue in the diner is the high point of his career. He was never been better. He just oozes charisma and you can't take your eyes off him. Robert Prosky is an actor I have always liked seeing on screen, here also gives the performance of his career, he is absolutely brilliant. James Belushi is also good in one of his first roles. William Petersen and Dennis Farina pop up too.I need to take time to mention Willie Nelson, his character is important early on, things happen and then he is gone, and I think it's one of the movies very few weak points. And believe me that is nitpicking. The fantastic score by Tangerine Dream needs mentioning too!!

James Caan plays Frank, a professional safe cracker. He has a collage comprising images of his dream life which he must have assembled in 4th grade because what grown man makes silly collages? This film tries to be a character study, crime drama, love story and revenge flick. It doesn't fully succeed in anything. In this movie, there is sophisticated equipment, tough talk, shooting, explosions, bad cops, cityscapes, pretty beach scenes, dramatic music, etc. There is even Willie Nelson in a pointless side story that takes less then 10 minutes of screen time. All this stuff makes a stylish movie but not an interesting movie. Frank decides he wants a family, so he finds Tuesday Weld in the first 10 minutes and talks her into marrying him. Later, they buy a baby from a mobster because, presumably, Frank & Tuesday are in too much of a hurry to make a family the traditional way. James Caan affects a Brooklyn accent so thick, it's left over from the Godfather. In fact, everybody has a Brooklyn accent, even though the story takes place in Chicago! If it weren't for some bad words in the dialogue, this would play like an episode of Miami Vice. If you're happy watching pretty flickering images then Thief is an acceptable time waster but it will leave you feeling empty about it because it's characters are shallow.

Thief is written and directed by Michael Mann, who adapts the screenplay form the novel "The Home Invaders" written by Frank Hohimer. It stars James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, James Belushi and Willie Nelson. Music is by Tangerine Dream and cinematography by Donald Thorin.Frank (Caan) is a tough ex-con and expert jewel thief. He's working his way out to a normal life, but after being lured to a big job for the mob, he finds plans on both sides severely altered.For his first full length theatrical feature, Michael Mann announced himself to the film world with some distinction, and in the process showed everyone what style of film making makes him tick. Thief is a film of stylised grit, visually, thematically and narratively. Set and filmed in Chicago, Mann, aided by Thorin, shoots the story through pure neo-noir filters.At nighttime it is all a beautifully neon drenched haze, where the streets shimmer with dampness, a dampness brought about by the rain and god knows what else! By day there's a sweaty hue, a feeling that the heat is well and truly on, that even in daylight Frank isn't safe, his dreams may be a touch too far to reach. And no matter what the scene or scenario, Tangerine Dream are laying over the top a throbbing pulse beat, it's like The Warriors trying to get back to Coney Island, the music has a sense of dread about it, that danger is at every corner.This part of Chicago stinks, it's a vile and corrupt place. Dirty cops everywhere, underworld criminals ruling the roost - Hell! You can even buy a baby if you want one. Is it any wonder that Frank just wants to settle down with a wife and child, to walk barefooted in the sea, to have domesticity? But Frank, as smart, tough and savvy as he is, seems to thrive on the edge of things, with Mann giving him earthy and honest dialogue to engage us with, marking him out as an identifiable every man protagonist who just happens to be an exceptional thief.Mann's attention to detail is on show straight away, none more so than with the two key safe cracking jobs that are undertaken. Using genuine jewel thieves as technical advisers on the film, these sequences ooze realism, from the tools used, the pre-planning and the execution of the takes, it smacks of reality and does justice to the genuine feel of the characterisations brought alive by the superb cast. And finally Mann delivers a finale of ambiguity, a noir shaded piece of abruptness, an ending that perfectly fits the whole production. 9/10