It has an accomplished director(now) at the helm and a terrific actor in the lead. It is loads better than 98% of the crime thrillers out there. This is kind of a forgotten film in the grand scheme of cinema, but it is one you should really seek out. He struts his criminal character around with a sense of anger and cool, that just makes you pay attention to every little detail of his performance. His performance in this one may be my favorite single performance from him ever. He plays a stubborn criminal to perfection. The acting is left in the capable hands of James Caan.
There's a lot of time after the final heist, and the after effects are the best part of the movie hands down. Standard heist films go through a formula normally leading up to the final heist scene which will pretty much end the movie. Thief isn't your standard heist film at all. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and.
The heist scenes are really good, and Mann doesn't pump up the cliché of fighting against a clock and the police like the normal heist film will do. Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. The boss has slightly different plans for Frank which may interfere with him getting exactly what he's always wanted. Frank thinks he can take the cash and settle down to a nice life. He thinks he has the chance when a crime boss asks him to join up for a big score. He's always wanted to retire to a normal life with a wife and kid. He breaks into safes for diamonds and cash only. Thief, Movie, 1981 Pictures provided by: mozinor, bluethunder, mr dellorto, mike962 Display options: Display as images Display as list Make and model Make and year Year Category Importance/Role Date added (new ones first) Episode Appearance (ep.+time, if avail. I'll admit, the film did take a little while to suck me in, but once it did I was enamored by it.įrank is a professional thief. The film doesn't mess around, and has one of the single coolest end sequences I have ever seen. Its one of those films where you feel the authority right away: This movie knows. Mann showed the success he would be right from the get go. It's one of those crime classics that have been forgotten because of movies like Heat. There's a lot of cool stuff going on in Thief. Michael Mann's debut, Thief, is a stylish and intelligent heist thriller. Frank takes his revenge, while protecting Jessie and his family.Frank: Look, you wanna pinch me then pinch me. Synopsis: After 11 years in prison, an ageing master safecracker (James Caan) decides to pull one more job before retiring to a quiet, peaceful life. The operation is a success but when is time to cash the payoff, Leo has Barry killed. Thief is a film directed by Michael Mann with James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson, James Belushi. Frank assigns Barry to work on the electronics and Grossman begins to develop a method to cut into the vault. A major job is proposed by Leo, the stealing of gems worthy four million dollars. Actual thieves served as technical consultants on the film. When the title of your movie recalls Walter Hills The Driver, and the font on the poster references the one for Michael Manns Thief, youre setting high. The deal is made and Frank and Jessie set up house together with Frank's child. Featuring standout supporting performances from Jim Belushi, Willie Nelson and Robert Prosky. Leo proposes an affliation whereby Frank will pull off the scores set up by the organisation. This leads to a meeting with Leo, heart of a highly organised theft gang. It was my favorite until I saw Dirty Harry and realized he lifted the whole storyline. When one of his contact is murdered before Frank receives payment on his last score, he confronts Attaglia, a minor crime boss who has ripped him off. Re: Thief (1981 film directing debut by Michael Mann) When I was a kid, one of the greatest things I ever saw was one of the Starsky & Hutch episodes he wrote.
Following the breakup of his marriage, he takes up with Jessie and tells her that he is a professional thief. Having filed away these images at the start of his career spent helming short films, television episodes, and documentaries, it wasn’t until he directed 1979’s TV movie The Jericho Mile on location at Folsom Prison that everything clicked for Mann on a visceral level. Known as a highline thief, cash rich and becoming a 'captain of industry' through investments, Frank is fiercely committed to putting together his life. Following an 11 year stretch in Joliet State Penitentiary, Frank is back on the street cashing on the wisdom and skills given ot him in prison by master thief Okla.