Reel Critics

Peggy Rogers

Honor among thieves? Never going to happen in a David Mamet film. When

master thief Joe Moore gets caught on surveillance tape during what was

to be his last heist he’s definitely ready to retire from the profession.

However, Joe’s fence refuses to let him walk away before pulling one more

job.

In “Heist” Gene Hackman plays Joe Moore, a thief who has always gotten

away with the goods. His crew is comprised of trustworthy friends Bobby

(Delroy Lindo), Pinky (Ricky Jay), and his young, beautiful streetwise

wife, Fran (Rebecca Pidgeon). It’s evident the team works together as

well as synchronized swimmers by watching them perform in the film’s

opening heist. Writer-director David Mamet uses the first robbery to set

up all the necessary details concerning the character’s personalities and

foreshadowing events to come.

Fans of David Mamet will notice a twist on the usual con games in

previous films like “House of Games,” “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “The

Spanish Prisoner.” Instead of stealing from innocent victims the cons are

stealing from each other. Therefore emotions reach a higher pitch, the

violence is pumped up and the double crosses contain more twists and

turns than last years tangled string of Christmas tree lights.

“Heist” plays the familiar tune of “this job is the last one.”

Recently Robert DeNiro and Ed Norton starred in “The Score,” over all

similar in nature with a few exceptions. While both films are

entertaining the line is blurred for viewers between rooting for the good

guys vs. the bad guys. The good guys in these films are thieves like Cary

Grant in “To Catch a Thief,” or Paul Newman and Robert Redford in “Butch

Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” They are likable, lovable, attractive cool

guys. However, getting away with crime in the movies, like in life, just

isn’t settling too well these days.

* PEGGY J. ROGERS, 39, produces commercial videos and documentaries.