Highly Overrated But Still Good

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Written and directed by David Mamet, this superior crime thriller begins with a brilliantly choreographed jewellery-store robbery that demonstrates just how professional and skilled the team of thieves are. The obviously high level of trust and understanding that they share, enable them to cope when things don't go exactly as planned and to improvise well whenever the need arises. The pace and precision of what happens in these opening scenes is impressive and intriguing and sets the tone for everything that follows. Numerous plot twists, double-crosses and humorous moments then add to the fun as the plot becomes increasingly complicated and the gang have to cope with some unexpected challenges.When veteran thief and gang-leader Joe Moore (Gene Hackman) accidentally has his picture captured on a security camera during a high-value jewellery robbery, he knows that the most sensible course of action is to retire immediately and head south on his boat with his much younger wife Fran (Rebecca Pidgeon). He encounters a problem, however, when his fence and financial backer Mickey Bergman (Danny DeVito) opposes the plan because he's already invested a large sum of money in setting up the gang's next job. Bergman isn't willing to make any concessions and withholds the gang's share of the proceeds of the robbery to force them into carrying out "the Swiss thing"."The Swiss thing" turns out to be an extremely dangerous but highly lucrative robbery of a huge shipment of gold from a Swiss cargo plane. To make matters worse, however, the distrustful Bergman stipulates that his nephew Jimmy Silk (Sam Rockwell) has to go along as one of the gang to ensure that they go ahead with the heist exactly as planned. Silk is young, inexperienced and impulsive and also has designs on Fran. He sees Joe as an old guy who's losing his grip and soon starts to think of how he could get away with both the gold and the girl.Joe feels compelled to go ahead with the gold heist and although he has complete faith in the loyalty and professionalism of his right-hand man Bobby Blane (Delroy Lindo) and his diversionary expert Pinky (Ricky Jay), the on-going presence of Jimmy Silk continues to be a source of great concern even after the ambitious heist has been successfully carried out.David Mamet's style of direction is perfect for this material as he brings great coherence and momentum to the intricate plot and his dialogue, as usual, is sharp, witty and quite unique. Some clever quips and brilliant banter illuminate the exchanges between the main characters but the usual formality and stilted nature of Mamet's lines are less apparent in this movie, possibly due to the presence of Gene Hackman. His skillful delivery is so warm and natural that it makes even the most contrived phrases sound quite spontaneous and his interactions with Delroy Lindo are a real highlight. Both actors excel in this movie as do Ricky Jay and Danny DeVito who also make their characters very real.The high quality of the direction, the writing and the acting ensure that a higher-then-average rating is merited but what's probably even more impressive is the way in which Mamet has taken a very simple and familiar plot and developed it into an enjoyable thriller that actually gets better with each repeat viewing. In the case of "Heist", once is definitely not enough.

David Mamet loves confidence tricksters. He understands the art of the con and he likes writing about the subject. When Mamet writes or directs a film about con men you know its a multi layered experience.Heist though is a misfire. It stars Gene Hackman and Rebecca Pidgeon as husband and wife as well as Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo and Sam Rockwell.Gene Hackman and his gang are forced by DeVito to steal a shipment of Swiss gold and has his nephew (Sam Rockwell) to tag along. He has an eye for Pidgeon and no one wants to share the proceeds of the heist.Its hard boiled with hard cursing and some Mamet regulars such as Ricky Jay. However Hackman is too old to be Pidgeon's husband and Pidgeon as an actress is weak here. The plot is too complicated as its based on a double cross on a double cross as well as a shootout where the bad guys have to be poor shots for any overall plan to work.The acting from Hackman, DeVito, Lindo and Rockwell make the film watchable but its a missed opportunity from Mamet.

You'll lose count at all the twists in David Mamet's "Heist," starring Gene Hackman, Rebecca Pigeon, and Danny DeVito.One distraction here is that when I first saw Hackman and Pigeon, I thought Pigeon was Hackman's grandfather. Then I found out she was his wife. There's only a 35-year difference.Gene Hackman plays the leader of a gang robs jewels and fences them with Mickey (Danny DeVito). Mickey stiffs the gang on their latest heist in order to get them to steal a shipment of Swiss gold. As an added negative, he wants his nephew (Sam Rockwell) to go along with them.The crimes themselves are clever, but there are so many twists in this story -- and you have no idea what's a real circumstance and what's a machination by the Hackman character and just seems like it's happening, but isn't. And you won't know at the end of the movie, either.The performances are fine, except I didn't think Rebecca Pigeon registered much. I don't think it was that good a role. Danny DeVito probably had the best one as the mean as dirt fence.I loved House of Games and The Spanish Prisoner; this one doesn't come up to either one of those.

this wasn't a bad movie,, my main problem with it one or two many twists,, if they would have kept it to one or two twists,, but three or four,, made it very hard to follow,, that being said otherwise it was a decent film,,, Gene Hackman once again does not disappoint,, and it's always a pleasure to watch Delroy Lindo in action,, Danny DeVito is funny as ever,, after one heist,, the crew figures they are going to cash in.. wrong,, the mastermind has another job for them,, a retirement job.. well things don't go exactly as planned and double and triple crosses abound,, constant plot twists abound in this one . not a bad watch just better be one you're toes and pay attention if you want to follow along. .