You won't be disappointed!

Simply Perfect

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Blistering performances.

This is an excellent movie. Alec Baldwin puts in one of his best efforts, but he's upstaged by Michael Jai White who just runs away with it in the colorful role of Pointy Williams. Pointy is one of the most refreshing film characters I've stumbled across in quite a while. He's a gangster who is trying to improve himself socially and take on upper class and intellectual airs. He's surrounded of course by rough and tumble urban ghetto thugs and the realities of running a brutal criminal enterprise, so Pointy is constantly frustrated at this by every turn. The film is not a comedy, it's crime drama, but a infectiously quirky one with lots of laughs, especially when Pointy comes around. The film, and especially Pointy, are extremely quotable. This is a great film in every way. I'm surprised it does not have a bigger following.

I have seen this film just by chance, and I have enjoyed it a lot. Alec Baldwin and Rebecca De Mornay are just fine, but without any doubt, it is Michael Jai White the spice of Thick as Thieves. Besides, Andre Braugher is superb too. The story? Nothing new, an old plot we all have seen many times before, but you should give this film an opportunity.

A crime lord decides to double-cross a professional thief that the higher-ups in his organization hired for a food stamp heist. Naturally, the professional thief evades the trap, but then decides to get even. As things escalate the cops become more and more interested. So do the chiefs of the organization, who realize that all this unwanted attention is bad for business, and finally find themselves having to arbitrate the situation.This is a well made crime movie. The movie starts with a humorous scene featuring a cameo by Janeane Garofalo where she and Alec Baldwin deadpan some lies to each other. This scene doesn't lead to anywhere, but is very hip.The movie goes pretty fast through its story with plenty of smart, breezy dialogue. As always, Alec Baldwin is good, but is outshown by Michael Jai White and Andre Braugher, who play the crime lord and his top lieutenant respectively. White plays a not so bright but vicious crime lord with upwardly mobile aspirations. Braugher hits just the right notes of dismayed resignation as he contemplates his boss' follies. Rebecca DeMornay also has a great character to play - a hard-boiled police detective who has seen it all but remains a half-step behind the action. There are lots of well-crafted minor characters as well. The sound track also deserves a special note (no pun intended).It you've seen all the Tarantino and Tarantino-esque movies, and are looking for more, this movie would fit the bill.

This film has a good story, but you have to have a certain appreciation for warped humor to appreciate it. The characters range from mildly unusual to downright peculiar. Pointy (Michael Jai White) is a black crime boss who is trying desperately to be a yuppie, playing golf at the country club, owning a French restaurant and lecturing on culture to anyone who will listen. All this is highly incongruous with the drug dealing, cap-busting realities of his crime syndicate, which makes him a droll and entertaining character. Mackin (Alec Baldwin) is a meticulous thief, who does occasional heists for the Mafia. He is an obsessive collector of vinyl jazz albums and takes his dog on capers because he wants to spend quality time with him.When Mackin does a food stamp heist for Pointy, Pointy double-crosses him. This sets up Mackin's revenge, which encompasses most of the film. The vendetta keeps escalating and the Mafia starts losing patience with both antagonists, introducing a third element into the conflict. The plot has a number of interesting twists and the climax is quite unexpected.First time director Scott Sanders' direction was solid but nothing special. The music, especially the jazz, was excellent. His work with the cast was nicely done, adding a sardonic tone to the entire movie, although I thought at times he got carried away with the disjointed humor.The acting was generally very good. Alec Baldwin's quirky portrayal of this painstaking thief was delightful. Rebecca De Mornay played a very different character than we are used to seeing from her. She was terrific as the tough and impassive cop with an understated and sarcastic wit. However, the best performances were given by Michael Jai White and Andre Braugher. White stole the show with his oh-so-refined mob boss impression. Braugher was great as his cool and calculating lieutenant, with nerves of steel and a brilliant criminal mind.Overall, this was a good crime story that meandered a bit too much from the main plot. I rated it a 7/10. Add a point if you like wry incongruous humor because this film has plenty.