Thief Reviews

Great thriller from Michael Mann with a James Caan masterclass performance. One of the best written anti-heroes I've seen

Fucking electric every time 🙌 everyone shouts out the visuals (obvi, they are stunning) but man that dialogue really makes this movie soar! Mann hive rise!

8.6/10

Ending redeems the slower pacing of the beginning of the movie. Not as great as heat but still a good watch.

Falling asleep while watching a caper film is not a good sign. 😢

8.0

Well structured and solid pace. Good casting and pretty representative of its time with hindsight. Great outfits. Classic heist movie with a higher emphasis on character dynamic development. 8.1/10

James Caan absolutely crushed his performance, the sound-wave heavy synth score was perfect yet intriguing and the plot knows how to keep you engaged enough throughout it’s runtime.

a mix between meh and like

Final act was weak but the cinematography makes up for a lot.

diner scene is still one of the most beautiful shots to look at in cinema. james caan was a perfect choice for the lead, he brings a impatient emotional, desperate gruffness to the lead that makes you pay attention to even the boring conversations. loved the grainy blue lighting

Classic action great cinematography Michael Mann at his best

#65

James is so good

5/10

Potentially Mann’s most stylised film. It’s an unbelievable debut; even here in his first feature, his artistic quirks and visual language are on full display.

Michael Mann clearly has an obsession with the criminal underworld and the people within it, finding the humanity in their ambitions. Frank is such a well-written character - he isn’t necessarily redeemable or even a "nice guy," he's a crook through and through. Yet, it’s his honesty and his hope for a "normal life" that makes you back him through all his actions.

Tangerine Dream’s score is the nuts. The vibes are just insane; to me, it’s the quintessential heist score of all time. It’s no wonder Rockstar Games tapped them for the GTA V soundtrack, given the clear inspiration they took from this movie. The stylised neon lighting against those contrasty, deep blacks makes the framing feel immaculate and oozes the noir vibe. I’m also a sucker for a well-executed split diopter shot, so that one in the phone booth had me giggling.

James Caan is just that guy. He oozes charisma and the "don’t fuck with me" energy required for a role like this. It’s easily one of my favorite performances of his. I do wish Tuesday Weld had more to do, though. She was fantastic in that early diner scene, and I would've loved to see more of that home life - the very thing Frank is fighting for.

Despite the clear budget constraints, Thief is an incredible piece of filmmaking. It feels like a benchmark and a staple of the genre. It’s never loud or bombastic with the action; instead, it’s a personal quest to get what you want out of life. A really special movie.

mesmerizing

Terrific debut film from Michael Mann. Great atmospheric 80s synth-rock soundtrack. Character work is top notch, with James Caan turning in one of the all-timers. One of the quintessential heist films of all time.

James Caan is fantastic, as always.

Kinda slow and not as deep as I was hoping but a rad af ending