Customer Reviews

Heist

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

Whether comedy, drama or suspense, David Mamet films are not just entertainment, they are high art. Truly, they can be looked at in both ways: either truly gripping perfect-for-munching-popcorn stories, or beautifully shot and executed works of sublime art. Rather, I should say that MOST of his films can be looked at in both ways. Although this film was well shot, directed and acted, the story line and tension that is a hallmark of Mamet's films just wasn't there.

As the reviewer below points out, the cast of this film was great. Gene Hackman, Rebeccas Pidgeon (who DID seem more comfortable here than in other films), Sam Rockwell and Danny DeVito. All did a wonderful job. The problem was, the plot was not cohesive. I felt that when writing, Mamet must not have had any clue where he was going, giving this film many false stops and starts leading to a bumpy ride.

In brief, this film is about a worn-out conman deciding to pull one last job with his crew. Problem is, they brought in a new guy that might threaten to out-con the cons. So this is a story begging to be written and you'd think Mamet was the guy to do it, but instead, I got the sense that it was trying too hard to follow in the footsteps of films like 'The Usual Suspects' and 'Oceans 11'. Unfortunately, Mamet tried to emulate the 'shoptalk' and highbrow tension that led to those films success instead of staying true to his film noir type style. The film ends up becoming a cliche. So even though the performances and direction were stellar, the script and plot were mediocre.

This has definitely got to be one of the top films I have seen in the past year. I normally don't get interested in seeing movies that glorify crime or make the hero of the story someone who weilds a gun and steals things that don't belong to them, but this movie surpassed my expectations.

I am a fan of Gene Hackman, and I really enjoyed the entire cast, all of whom were aptly cast for this film... but the best actors, casting and story isn't enough if all the things aren't tied together well by the director.

Mamet should be proud. The film is forever dated as being pre-Sept. 11 as the big heist of the film takes place at an airport, but if your memory of how things were before 9/11 aren't too foggy already, you'll appreciate that this was a well conceived and even plausible plot.

The story assumes that the viewer is intelligent and does not insult logic or waste your time. There were a few plot twists I anticipated, but far more that I did not expect.

Some gun play and sexually suggestive scenes, but the real draw to this film at the cerebral level... this film will keep you enthralled as you try to figure out who is honest, who is a betrayer and who knows what's going on. You will be surprised many times during this film.

The language is at gutter level and simply is not suitable for kids... but this is an otherwise fantastic motion picture.

I had the pleasure of seeing Heist on October 8th at the 24th Mill Valley Film Festival, when I had first seen the trailer for it I thought it had far to many cute lines and holywood lok to it. I was wrong, the film did contain plenty of not cute lines but smart funny lines that only added to the audiences enjoyement, the film has some hollywood aspects to it but it is a very well made hollywood film it does not neccesarlily keep you on the edge of your seat but the characters and plot twists keep the film great and enjoyable all the way until the end. It is hard to describe it without giving away to much, but Gene Hackman plays an aging thief who is very precise, tricky and smart in his work, Delroy Lindo is his partner and helps him carry out all of the 'jobs' they do. Each of these characters ar wonderfully played by the actors. Ricky Jay plays another memeber of thier team and deffenitely adds to the humor of the film, Danny DeVito plays a greedy, sleezy crime lord who is mutual with Gene Hackman on the love of gold and wealth, Rebbeca Pidgeon who plays Gene Hackmans girlfriend as well as a partner in crime also does well in showing uncertainty as to weather Gene Hackman is using her or not, Sam Rockwell plays Danny DeVitos nephew and a younger aspiring criminal who is requested by DeVito to be a part of Gene Hackmans team of thieves, this adds to the tention, because SAmis also a crminal in training. Overall Heist is probably Gene Hackmans best film since the Frenc Connection as well as one of the best crime films Hollywood has produced.

I saw 'Heist' again the other night - this time it was playing on a television screen at a gym. I didn't like the film first time I saw it. Thank goodness it was part of a double-feature with 'Spy Game.' At least that redeemed my evening.

Heist didn't improve the second time around either. Especially since this time, it played with subtitles. As ridiculous as David Mamet's rat-a-tat-tat dialogue sounds coming out of the mouths of Gene Hackman and Mamet's wife, Rebecca Pidgeon, it looked even *more* ridiculous captured in subtitles. 'My (insert obligatory Mamet crudity here) is so cool that when he sleeps, sheep count him.' 'Everybody likes money. That's why they call it money.' Who talks like that?

Watch that stuff pop up on the bottom of the screen, and after five minutes and it becomes rather humorous. Like two guys having a go at a Mamet competition. Let's see who can out-Mamet the other.

The story itself is typical Mamet. There's a con, a bigger con, a twist, a reversal, a reversal of the reversal, and then - (surprise!) - a reversal of the reversal of the reversal. Guys get killed left and right, left on docks, nobody clears the bodies, nobody investigates, nobody gets caught.

I'll stick to films where Mamet contributes as a writer (e.g., 'Wag the Dog') and stays out of the Director's chair.

Heist (David Mamet, 2001)

Beware: if you go to see a David Mamet film expecting a linear time, you're going to have problems.

The mind that brought us the best con movie ever, _House of Games_, returns to the life of the small-time crook who wants to be big-time with just as much gusto as panache as before. Mantegna has been replace with flavor du jour Gene Hackman, and former Mamet wife Lindsay Crouse has been replaced with Mamet-wife du jour Rebecca Pidgeon, but otherwise, your small time con artists (Hackman, Pidgeon, Delroy Lindo, and Mamet regular Ricky Jay) are shooting for a brass ring well outside their sphere of influence. Nothing unusual. Mamet throws the monkeywrenches into the works in this one with a small-time mob boss (Danny DeVito) and his layabout nephew (Sam Rockwell, late of The Green Mile and Galaxy Quest); mob boss says that nephew must come along on the job, and crime ring leader agrees.

Complications ensue.

As usual with Mamet, there are many more layers than are let on at any given time. Crosses, double-crosses, and triple-crosses abound. Every character has an angle, and no one is to be trusted. Because of that, it's a movie that requires excessive attention to detail on the part of the viewer; this is likely to make the majority of the public ignore the film, but, like House of Games, it will develop a following among those who are willing to go back and watch movies four or five times to analyze everything that needs analyzed.

Wonderful. Easily one of the ten best of the year. ****

This is probably the least satisfying of Mamet's films. The premise, though formulaic, is fine. But the dialogue is largely devoid of Mamet's trademark zing. Co-star Danny DeVito can't quite pull of the role of a threatening mobster-type. Gene Hackman acquits himself admirably all things considered, but he doesn't have much to work with. The characters just aren't that terribly interesting, especially to those of us familiar with Mamet's other creations. The film's pacing seems slow, and the heist sequences have little excitement to them. Generally I am a big Mamet fan. I have read many of his books, seen a couple of his plays Off-Broadway, and have watched all of his films. So as far as I'm concerned Mamet has an admirable enough track record that we should forgive him for this less-than-stellar product. Actor Sam Rockwell, a very gifted and entertaining actor, never gets a chance to flex his comedic and dramatic muscles in this film. As a matter of fact, all of the roles seem rather flat and underwritten. Only Ricky Jay's character, nicknamed "Pinky", has an interesting character arc. So if you want to watch some of the best of Mamet's material I suggest you rent/buy "House Of Games", "Glengarry Glen Ross" (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!), "Oleanna", or "The Spanish Prisoner." He also wrote the screenplays for "The Untouchables", "The Verdict", and he co-wrote "Ronin" under a pseudonym. Any of those are superior to "Heist".

"My guy is so cool, when he goes to sleep, sheep count him." So says "Pinky" (Ricky Jay)as he describes his "boss", Joe Moore (Gene Hackman). The same thing can be said for "Heist". Here's a movie that has a razor-sharp script full if wit, style, and excitement. I think it's fair to say that David Mamet writes some of the best dialogue I've ever heard. It's a known fact that he uses a metronome in order to keep his dialogue to have a certain rhythm to it. There are so many great lines in this movie it's impossible to recite them all here. I would love it, if this movie got an Osacr nomination for it's screenplay. I honestly can't understand why so many people have been as harsh as they have been with this film. I think it's one of the best films of 2001! Everything seems so perfect in this movie. Who could ask for more from a heist movie. I mean, the directing is great. Mamet knows the genre very well. And has proven this with films like "House of Games", and "The Spanish Prisoner". His script as I said before is amazing. The acting by Gene Hackman is the tops. Here's a guy that is such an old pro he can take any role you give him and turn it into something great. This is not to say that the part of Joe Moore is uninteresting. It most certainly isn't! Danny De Vito is suprisingly good in this film. At first I thought, this guy is all wrong for this movie. The part he's playing is an old-fashion tough-guy villian. For the obvious reasons, this doesn't seem to fit De Vito, or so I thought. I have to admit, he is very entertaining to watch as well. Everyone it seems, has a problem with Rebecca Pidgeon. People tend to think that she's out of place in a Mamet film. Some think she delivers the lines wrong. Though I've never thought this of her, this is her best role! She reminds me of a modern, hip Veronica Lake, Barbara Stanywick type of femme fatale. She is just as good has Hackman in this movie. And would be a great film to prove to those who dislike her, that she is a very good actress, who does work well in Mamet's style of filmmaking. Delroy Lindo has some great lines as well, but, I can't reveal them here. He has some good moments on screen and works well with Hackman and the rest fo the cast. "Heist" has a very old-fashion feel to it. It reminds me of Kubrick's "The Killing" in several ways. This is what I like about the movie. I love that old-fashion feel. I love the acting and the directing and the script. I love all the plot-twist that happen, but, must admit, I took one star off because I felt near the end of the film, I'd say, the last 15-20 minutes of the film, it just tries too hard. It's one suprise after another only Mamet has too much of a good thing going here.
"Heist" is probably one of the best heist movies I've seen this year. And we had a lot of them come out, like "The Score" and "Sexy Beast". This is a movie I wish the American public would have paid more attention to when it was in wider release. If you still haven't seen it, please try to find a theatre that's playing it. I think the American public really missed the mark with this one. It's an enjoyable film by one of the best and hardest working playwright\screenwriters we have around today. David Mamet's "Heist" is a modern classic that all other heist films must now be measured against!

'Heist' is a 'thinking man's' thriller, full of great lines, genuinely suspenseful scenes, and clever, one-upping machinations that showcase the creative minds behind them. Gene Hackman is simply stellar playing a seasoned professional out for one last score, and Delroy Lindo is excellent, as always, here playing Hackman's friend. The rest of the cast, including Danny Devito, Sam Rockwell, Patti LuPone, and Rebecca Pidgeon, gives 'Heist' an ambience of working-class smarts, while Ricky Jay nearly steals the show as a deadpan confidence man with a sparkling wit. The best thing about 'Heist' is that it was made for adults--there are no absurd chases in $150,000 cars, no crew of jugheads walking around in slow-motion while wearing the most ridiculous of contemporary fashion, no screeching garage-band tunes and seismic camera shots to give the audience a skull-splitting migraine while hiding the fact that there's nothing of importance going on. Instead, David Mamet offers rich characters and a believable, if stylized, caper that is more along the lines of what real professionals pull off than anything in the junk that Hollywood typically ships to theaters. And while 'Heist' is not on the order of 'The Sting' or 'Topkapi,' what is anymore? This is the closest we get. A nod goes to Theodore Shapiro for a low-key but memorable score.

Mamet's movies are usually pretty dialogue-heavy, full of twists and turns, and fairly macho. Heist was all of that, but I still came away disappointed.

The dialogue was awkward and contrived at times, with klunkers like "quiet as an ant pissing on cotton" and "cute as a bucket full of kittens." All right already with the lame similes. The relationships were almost believable, until the end. I'm afraid the end was not believable, nor was it satisfying.

I guess I thought this would be an Ocean's 11 sort of caper, but it was a little grittier than that, with all of the plot contortions, but none of the charm. It is not the sort of movie you would walk out on, but Mamet has done better. Try State and Main instead.

This is the type of movie Gene Hackman was born to. Nobody does the gentle giant better then he does. But of course this one is a master thief. And the entire cast is superb. I love this movie.