Review of Thief (1981) by Adam R — 18 Aug 2014

In 1981, Michael Mann seemed to charge right out of the gate with Thief, knowing exactly what to do with the material and how to make it look and sound incredible, even though his experience was only in television up to that point.

The film was based on the novel "The Home Invaders" by author and ex-jewel thief Frank Hohimer, sort of. Michael Mann had never intended to film the book as written, using it more for inspiration than anything.

But the film, first and foremost, is a tightly-knit visual and aural masterpiece, but its main drive is the characterization of its lead. James Caan's Frank seems to be bursting at the seams with a richness that's baked into the performance so perfectly.

The other characters are vital and the actors give great performances, but it's Caan who really shines the most in the film. Mann also hired real-life criminals as actors, but also to be technical supervisors during the robbery sequences, making them as authentic as possible.

And even though the film is dripping with a 1980's look and feel, it doesn't really feel all that dated. It's beautifully-shot and, as was usually the case with Mann's work during this timeframe, contains a fantastic, hard-driving soundtrack, courtesy of Tangerine Dream.

And even though Mann went on to make much broader films, this, and maybe Manhunter, feel the most pure and authentic. Thief simply fires on all cylinders and leaves most other heist movies in the dust.