Review of Thief (1981) by Ray D — 21 Dec 2008
It's got nothing to do with Christmas, but if you want to see a hard-boiled, matter-of-fact crime drama where James Caan plays a tough, professional criminal who takes 'one last big score' that will allow him to retire, and then finds it going horribly wrong, this is probably the film for you.
An early effort by Michael Mann, it's largely a character piece, but the world he creates for Caan's crook to inhabit feels very real. Mann's camerawork and attention to detail is very much in evidence here, and the score (by Tangerine Dream) helps too.
Worth noting are small roles for William Petersen and Dennis Farina, both of whom were just starting their acting careers around this time. If you want a break from eggnog and snowmen, you could do much worse than this little gem.
This review of Thief (1981) was written by Ray D on 21 Dec 2008.
Thief has generally received very positive reviews.
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