Présumé coupable

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.

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.

I loved this movie! It doesn't go where you think it's going and it gets there fast! James Spader is one of the best actors working in films today. It was great to see him with such strong material. Leslie Stephanson and Spader had this very hot chemistry and I loved the banter between them. The Rashamon element in the plot provided an excellent opportunity for a unique film noir twist. I saw this movie at a preview with a large audience at a L.A. Museum of Modern Art/Independent Film Project screening and the place went wild. I watched it again on Showtime and enjoyed it just as much. It's great to see "under the radar pictures" like this. My hats off to everyone involved in the picture. Fine work all around. John Livingston practically steals the movie, I'll be watching for more from him. Loved the score too. If you have a chance see this movie!

Rowdy Herrington and James Spader teamed up originally for Jack's Back, a slick, scary and ultimately satisfying affair, with TWO - count 'em, TWO - incredible performances from the always-superb Spader. In The Stickup, Spader's back, and the result is another clever little movie that is not what it appears to be on the surface.

Spader's character has enough edge for 3 characters, most of the supporting cast is excellent (especially the actress who plays the nurse), and although it doesn't have the high multiple viewings factor that Jack's Back possesses (I try to watch that at least once every four or five years), it's still fun.

My IMDb rating: 7

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.