The Art of the Steal

The heist genre is old, so what is new and worth watching about this particular heist movie? The jokes. They are really sharp, fast, original and witty. And those jokes are delivered by a bunch of great actors: Matt Dillon, Kurt Russell and a delightful cool, calm and collected Terence Stamp. They all act really good.

The story is tight and fast moving and funny. Kurt Russell plays a gangster in need of money. Well, that´s news! He desperately needs money though and that's the reason he agrees to do an impossibly difficult heist. Will he succeed anyway?

Any bad? It's a bit too clever for the sake of wanting to be clever. And it's still a copycat of Ocean's Eleven, but an enjoyable copycat...

Motorcycle rider Crunch Calhoun (Kurt Russell) is in a crew with his half-brother Nicky Calhoun (Matt Dillon), Paddy MacCarthy (Kenneth Welsh), and forger Guy (Chris Diamantopoulos). Their mark is Stash Bartkowiak who had a stolen Gauguin from an Oslo gallery. They are discovered and Nicky rats out Crunch. Seven years in a Polish prison (5 1/2 with good behavior) later, Crunch is out and out of crime for good. He's daredevil motorcycle riding working with his girlfriend Lola (Katheryn Winnick) and apprentice Francie Tobin (Jay Baruchel). Interpol Agent Bick (Jason Jones) is after a stolen Seurat with the help of informant Samuel Winter (Terence Stamp). Nicky outsmarts them and double cross Sunny who then threatens Crunch for his money. Crunch is pulled back in with Nicky.

There are too many capers and too many complicated expositions. Writer/director Jonathan Sobol has pack this in with so many characters. It's a lower grade Guy Ritchie in Canada. He is starting to solidify his style along with 'A Beginner's Guide to Endings'. However this is a little bit too ambitious for him. Dillon-Russell anchors it with a complicated cute relationship. There are some funny bits, some fun dialog, and a whole lot of fun-like wacky. There is a particularly funny art piece. In the end, it just needs more comedy and a more simplified story.

Seldom writing reviews, but this one deserved it... just because it got such a low rating.... the movie fulfills the promise of the genre - it's a heist movie, with a bit of comedy in it, and actually funny comedy... and it has interesting plot, with good twist... the acting could be better, the camera could be better, the story could have been better...everything could have been better, but then it would be another movie. This movie deserves higher rating, if for no other reason, then just because it delivers the promised. it s not a masterpiece, it s just a good movie to watch when you want to be entertained... not many movies these days do so, so i must say: bravo,finally!

What a great ride!

I'm Canadian, and nothing kills me more (being a Canadian) than saying that there is an undeniably 'crappy' feel to most, if not all, Canadian productions. That being said, this movie was actually really good. Great performances from most of the cast, really great to see Kenneth Welsh and Terence Stamp adding some credibility to whole thing.

As far as heist movies go, this one is fairly typical but the production/editing really pull it together. Kurt Russell does a great job along with Baruchel and Winnick and my usual aversion to Matt Dillon was even kept in check to some degree. Nice little twist-up at the end even if it was somewhat predictable. Also Some pretty funny scenes and exchanges, especially if you watch the outtakes in the credits.

All in all a great film with a surprisingly good feel.

What a cast! I have to put that out there first. Matt Dillon, Kurt Russell, but also Terence Stamp (every word he's saying has such a weight and him going for comedy, is so great). Actually everyone involved makes it look so effortless. Heist movies of course might not be everyones thing and people might argue, that after Oceans Eleven (or the sequels), there is nothing left to say.

Yes this may be predictable and may or may not make much sense under scrutiny, but it is too fun to watch, twist and turn and go different directions, that it would be a shame for you not to enjoy it. And I can't stress out enough, that this also has a lot to do with the cast involved. The script is good, but you have to have people deliver it. Every role is cast in a great way and this movie makes no secret that it wants to entertain you. It's not as wrangled up as "Now you see me" (which is also better), but it doesn't have to be