Review of Heist (2001) by Galen M — 27 Aug 2014

"Heist" written and directed by David Mamet opens with the classic black and white Warner Brothers logo declaring its intention to be a modern day noire. It's the story of Joe "Gene Hackman", an older con artist desperate for one last job, big enough to retire on.

Joe, his younger spouse Fran "Rebecca Pidgeon", and his crew Bobby "Delroy Lindo" and Pinky "Ricky Jay" rob a jewelry store, complications ensue and Joe's identity is "blown". Joe now needs to fence the Jewels and head south. "Danny Devito" plays the fence who needs them to pull one last job. So begins the game. Twists, cons, and mysteries wrapped in riddles. Mamet tries to trick the audience resulting in many plot holes and predictable twists. The dialogue is sharp and the performances are solid. The climax is a stereotypical dockside shoot out.

Mamet is an award winning playwright and I think the FORM of theater is his strength. The mise-en-scene seems plain, almost boring in its set design; the colors and some lighting are dark, which is intended but it creates a "dull" feeling throughout.

The interiors have a lived-in feel without conveying that film noire vibe. Remember it was Mamet that invited such comparisons. The edit could have been tighter. The pacing is slow and drags into the final few twists. The pattern of Joe's plans imploding sets up the ending between Fran and Joe. Will Joe finally win?

It's not CONTENT that is the problem; the heists are interesting and the characters are developed well enough for the genre. "Heist" features several cons that are obvious in execution. Heist films and film noire are classic content. When done right they can be a lot of fun. "Heist" is far from a bad film. I just expected better from the talent involved.