Review of The Anderson Tapes (1971) by Steven N — 06 Jan 2010

I was surprised by the 1971 Sean Connery vehicle "The Anderson Tapes." The film tells the story of a thief played by Connery that's just gotten out of prison, and quickly spots an opportunity to get back into the game of stealin' stuff.

The most impressive thing about the movie is the cast: Connery, Martin Balsam, Alan King, and even Christopher Walken (who believe it or not gets an "introducing" credit) just to name a few.

While the characters and the actors playing them are interesting, like most caper flicks the movie can't help but feel a bit dated - especially when the anti-theft/monitoring technology it holds on high looks so darn silly.

Sidney Lumet's visuals are solid, and the movie has a nice little pace to it - patiently taking its time, and making the climax all the more successful because of it. Composed by Quincy Jones, the score if both unique, and a bit frustrating.

In the end I think there is a lot more good than bad going on in "The Anderson Tapes." This is a lost little gem of the heist film genre, and I'm sort of surprised it took me this long to see it.