Lock Yourself in Weekend: The Art of the Heist
There aren’t many great heist movies out there, probably because they’re some of the hardest films to pull off. All about precision and specificity, any break in logic can cause the entire film to disintegrate. Not only do they have to feature clever crimes, but the audience has to both keep guessing and make sense of it once everything’s been laid out. But well made heist movies make for some of the most engaging genre films. So you can make your own weekend-long film festival with some of the very best you may have missed. Buy, rent or borrow these classic films, order a pizza, and clear out your weekend for the perfect lock yourself in weekend: heist movie edition.
1. The Bank Job
Finally, a good Jason Statham movie that shows he can actually act (sometimes). Statham plays Terry, a small time car dealer, offered a bank job that is too easy to believe (and turns out is) by Martine (sultry Saffron Burrows). Told he can easily tunnel into the safety deposit box area, the job is actually a set up to steal classified documents for the government. The robbery puts Terry’s entire crew in danger when crooked cops, criminal porn king, and high priced madame realize they robbers may have gotten more than just money in the boxes. From its wide ranging ensemble of English character actors to director Roger Donaldson’s period evocative detail, this pre-technology retelling of the infamous walky-talky robbery is compelling from start to finish.
2. The Sting
As close to a perfect movie as there has ever been, George Roy Hill’s reunion with Redford and Newman (after Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) is smart and fun. Set in the 1930s, with what was a hit score of primarily Joplin music, two con men try to get one over on a mob boss (Robert Shaw) as revenge. There isn’t a wasted moment in the movie, despite a screenplay so clever, its easy to forget they’re laying out clues and just get caught up in the characters and dialogue. But the moment you realize how complex the entire job really was, you’ll likely find it to be one of the most satisfying endings in modern American film.
3. Sneakers
Considering how good he is in The Sting, Redford returning to the con-game as a break-in artist only makes sense. Now having modern technology (90s era computers), Redford manages a team of specialists hired to test security systems. But desperate for money and Redford of having his identity discovered, the team is tricked into an illegal break in that puts them at risk for arrest and the country’s national security in jeopardy. To clear their names, they have to break in on the illegal company that hired them before they can use the information they have against the united states. Ben Kingsley plays against type as the slithery villain out to frame Redford, opposite Redford’s crew made up of second-in-command Sidney Poiter, wiz kid River Phoenix, techie Dan Aykroyd, and David Stratham as a blind guy with terrific hearing. One of the first heist movies to not only address computer technology, but use it effectively in the plot.
4. The Brothers Bloom
Rian Johnson, the director of Looper and Brick, loves reaffirmation parodies, and The Brothers Bloom is definitely his lightest film. Two brothers (Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo) seperate after planning the perfect con, only to reunite in an attempt to pull off one more big score, to swindle an eccentric young woman (Rachel Weisz). But their attempt to trick her proves harder then they thought, as she’s more interested in playing with the criminals, desperate to see if she can pull off a heist of her own. In the style of 30s or 40s films, Brody and Weisz make a charming couple, and Ruffalo is a charismatic criminal who simply loves the game. If you need anymore convincing (and adorable Rinko Kikuchi playing with dynamite isn’t enough) just take a look at the opening short film narrated by Ricky Jay that introduces the protagonist criminals as children.
5. The Lookout
Overlooked at the time, possibly because it seemed more teen drama than chilly heist in ads, Out of Sight screenwriter Scott Frank made his directing debut with The Lookout. Joseph Gordon Levitt stars as former golden boy Chris, who lost his short term memory after a horrific car accident. Forced to live in a support care with roommate Lewis (Jeff Daniels), a blind man who keeps Chris from forgetting himself, Chris works nights as a janitor, with only the memories of what he lost in the accident to occupy his mind. Until he meets career criminal Gary (Matthew Goode), who seems to have it all, including a hot girlfriend (Isla Fisher), and promises Chris his own chance at happiness if he helps pull off a bank robbery with his crew.
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