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Thief
Long before scoring with films like Heat and Collateral, Michael Mann made a truly impressive feature length film debut as the executive producer, screenwriter, and director of 1981's Thief an edgy and stylishly mounted crime drama that is anchored by, arguably, the greatest performance of the late James Caan.
Caan plays Frank, a professional jewel thief at a professional and personal crossroads in his life. Frank has just finished what he hopes to be his last job because his new girlfriend doesn't know what he does. While Frank is trying to get a real commitment out of the new lady in his life, he is also offered one more job that offers him anything his heart desires, except for the opportunity to live his own life.
Michael Mann displays endless skill and imagination in cinematic storytelling in his careful and detailed mounting of a compelling story that actually starts in the middle of the central character's life. The lovingly photographed opening scene of Frank cracking a safe shows that Frank is very skilled at what he does and when he tells the person he's working for minutes later that he wants his cut to go into the bank also shows that this a guy who wants to change his life. We're impressed that he implies that he wants to change for the new woman in his life, but the scene where he gets her to commit by telling her the truth about his life turns out to be nothing that we expect. Even though the girl is Frank's motivation, I found the character to be one of the film's weaker elements. It was hard to buy that this woman was aa dumb as a box of rocks as she was presented.
Mann is a proven commodity with the action sequence, but my two favorite scenes in the film have nothing to do with guns or car chases. There is a scene where Frank is trying to be hones with his girl about his life in Sing Sing and the scene where they go to an adoption agency and are refused a child, causing Frank to snap. These scenes give this dangerous story an element of humanity and they work because of the combined work of Mann and James Caan.
I wanted to watch something in honor of Caan's passing that I hadn't seen and my first impulse was to watch The Gambler, but decided to watch this instead and I am so glad I did. I've seen a healthy chunk of Caan's work, but his explosive performance here is the strongest work I've seen from Caan, including The Godfather. Robert Prosky (in his film debut) and James Belushi make the most of their supporting roles and Tuesday Weld works hard at making her thankless role believable. Mann has employed first rate production values to this film, especially the eerie midnight-to-dawn cinematography, editing, and sound. It's Michael Mann's undeniable skill behind the camera and Caan's underrated skill in front that make this sizzling entertainment.
Long before scoring with films like Heat and Collateral, Michael Mann made a truly impressive feature length film debut as the executive producer, screenwriter, and director of 1981's Thief an edgy and stylishly mounted crime drama that is anchored by, arguably, the greatest performance of the late James Caan.
Caan plays Frank, a professional jewel thief at a professional and personal crossroads in his life. Frank has just finished what he hopes to be his last job because his new girlfriend doesn't know what he does. While Frank is trying to get a real commitment out of the new lady in his life, he is also offered one more job that offers him anything his heart desires, except for the opportunity to live his own life.
Michael Mann displays endless skill and imagination in cinematic storytelling in his careful and detailed mounting of a compelling story that actually starts in the middle of the central character's life. The lovingly photographed opening scene of Frank cracking a safe shows that Frank is very skilled at what he does and when he tells the person he's working for minutes later that he wants his cut to go into the bank also shows that this a guy who wants to change his life. We're impressed that he implies that he wants to change for the new woman in his life, but the scene where he gets her to commit by telling her the truth about his life turns out to be nothing that we expect. Even though the girl is Frank's motivation, I found the character to be one of the film's weaker elements. It was hard to buy that this woman was aa dumb as a box of rocks as she was presented.
Mann is a proven commodity with the action sequence, but my two favorite scenes in the film have nothing to do with guns or car chases. There is a scene where Frank is trying to be hones with his girl about his life in Sing Sing and the scene where they go to an adoption agency and are refused a child, causing Frank to snap. These scenes give this dangerous story an element of humanity and they work because of the combined work of Mann and James Caan.
I wanted to watch something in honor of Caan's passing that I hadn't seen and my first impulse was to watch The Gambler, but decided to watch this instead and I am so glad I did. I've seen a healthy chunk of Caan's work, but his explosive performance here is the strongest work I've seen from Caan, including The Godfather. Robert Prosky (in his film debut) and James Belushi make the most of their supporting roles and Tuesday Weld works hard at making her thankless role believable. Mann has employed first rate production values to this film, especially the eerie midnight-to-dawn cinematography, editing, and sound. It's Michael Mann's undeniable skill behind the camera and Caan's underrated skill in front that make this sizzling entertainment.