Présumé coupable

James Spader is a former cop-turned-bank robber in THE STICKUP. In the course of the robbery and getaway, things don't go quite as planned and Spader ends up wounded. Fortunately, prior to to the robbery, he has met a nurse (Leslie Stefanson of THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER) who helps him mend in her home. Problem is, she's the ex of local deputy sheriff David Keith, who is hot on Spader's trail and keeping a close eye on his ex at the same time. John Livingston plays a boyish FBI agent sent in to take over the case, and provides some needed comic relief. The film employs several critical flashbacks without being confusing. It also is quite suspenseful. Spader as always is low-key and a pleasure to watch. A perfect little crime drama for watching on the small screen.

Not bad for a low budget thriller. A bank is robbed by a person in a clown mask and a jumpsuit. The story revolves around the local deputy sheriff and a rookie FBI agent chasing the suspect, a LA cop, who has troubles back in LA. Some scenes switch back and forth in time and from different character's perspective to mislead you. The witty dialogue between the LA cop and the deputy's ex-wife reminds me of James Bond movie dialogue.

The beginning of the movie is as said in the comment on the net: what do you expect with such a title.A lot of shooting and car racing. For me the movie began with Leslie sitting at the bar and ordering a drink for a total stranger.From there on I followed all her moves and one-liners intensely. When she was nursing the shotwound I wished it was mine. .The casting all-over is very well done. The greenhorne FBI agent is heartwarming (he would say: "cool").The Indian chief and his son have a very short but amusing role.The plot of the movie is not that bad at all. The last half hour the plot of the story is upside down, totally different from what you would expect.However, the role of his LAPD collegues in the end is quite unbelievable. A happy end is well deserved for our couple, "love at first sight saves a lot of time". I'm glad I took the time to see it.

James Spader plays a cop who is accused of having robbed a bank and all the evidence points at him - the "hitchcockian" character is helped to prove his innocence by a young FBI agent, who digs up that "The Stickup" didn't exactly happen the way it appeared to. A witty script which plays on the viewers perception and the point of view of narration is executed with above average direction and solid acting. "The Stickup" is a good quality suspense B-picture with originality and humour. Only the end with lots of arbitrary genre specific heavy shooting has the mediocre quality usually found in fare of this kind. The rest stands out and is "A" quality stuff.

This film features one of James (call me Jimmy!) Spader's finest (and most likeable) performances. Set in the Beautiful Sierras of Northern California, we find ourselves immediately embroiled in a desperate chase... And as the story unfolds, It Doesn't Get Boring! The characters just get deeper, and when you think something is bound to fall flat (or be predictable), the story takes a new turn! I highly recommend this film to anyone who gets the chance to watch it.