Thief (1981)

Featured Audience Ratings

• AJ V

  
  A stylish all star movie with a simple and utterly predictable story. It's just okay.

• El Hombre I

  
  You probably don't know this about me. Part of what I do for a living is cracking safes open. I'm pretty good at it. So, when watching heist films, it's usually difficult for me to enjoy them due to the hokey, corny steps filmmakers use in various heist films.… More
  You probably don't know this about me. Part of what I do for a living is cracking safes open. I'm pretty good at it. So, when watching heist films, it's usually difficult for me to enjoy them due to the hokey, corny steps filmmakers use in various heist films. Ocean's 11, 12, and 13 come to mind. However, there is something I can usually count on when watching a Michael Mann film. The director may take some steps in order to add drama to some scenes but, for the most part, they're technically spot on. The tools used here are real and the actors had to learn to use them. This was the first Michael Mann film I remember seeing. I remember thinking what a cool, calculating son-of-a-bitch Frank (James Caan) was. I'm reminded of his character when watching Neil (Robert DeNiro) in the film Heat. Even James Belushi is good here, years before his later smart-ass demeanor, playing it very cool. Then again, he's surrounded by tough characters who would just as soon bust his mouth open should he smart off. The supporting cast are perfect in their roles. Willie Nelson adds depth in a cameo worth mentioning. Tight script, great cinematography, and the little touches such as James Caan speaking firmly without contractions all add up to a favorite hard-boiled crime drama. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=thief.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/thief.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Dan S

  
  A solid film detailing the life of a pro thief (James Caan) and the changes his career encounters once an individual (Robert Prosky) with a lot of power gets him interested in one last final score. While undoubtedly formulaic to a degree and failing to give more color to some… More
  A solid film detailing the life of a pro thief (James Caan) and the changes his career encounters once an individual (Robert Prosky) with a lot of power gets him interested in one last final score. While undoubtedly formulaic to a degree and failing to give more color to some important supporting characters (Belushi's and Nelson's, especially), the film succeeds in large part due to James Caan's convincing performance as a dangerous man who is very good at what he does. Although this doesn't really come close to matching the heist masterpiece that is Michael Mann's "Heat", it's still a well-rounded film concerning these types of people and how once you're in, you can never get out.

• Aaron N

  
  Frank: Look, in what I do there are sometimes pressures. What the hell do you think that I do? Come on. Come on, every morning I walk in for five months, say hi - what the hell do you think that I do? Jessie: You sell little fucking cars, that's what you do. Frank: I wear… More
  Frank: Look, in what I do there are sometimes pressures. What the hell do you think that I do? Come on. Come on, every morning I walk in for five months, say hi - what the hell do you think that I do? Jessie: You sell little fucking cars, that's what you do. Frank: I wear $150 slacks, I wear silk shirts, I wear $800 suits, I wear a gold watch, I wear a perfect, D-flawless three carat ring. I change cars like other guys change their fucking shoes. I'm a thief. I've been in prison, all right? Michael Mann's first feature film, starring James Caan as an expert safecracker, is a well done neo-noir that certain establishes a number of filmmaking techniques that Mann would go on to use in his other works. Caan stars as Frank, a jewel theif essentially forced into pulling one big job before retiring. Its the standard heist plot, but the movie does many things right. It establishes its characters, using dialog that almost feels like a David Mamet film from the way everyone seems to speak in the moment, without breaking it down for the audience. Frank: You're marking time is what you are. You're backing off. You're hiding out. You're waiting for a bus that you hope never comes because you dont wanna get on it anyway because you don't wanna go anywhere. Ok? The majority of the film involves Caan setting up a big heist in Los Angeles for a big time fence who is of course crooked. James Belushi costars as Caan's accomplice. Tuesday Weld turns up as the woman in Frank's life. And there is a very well preformed, but brief role from Willie Nelson as a father figure to Frank, stuck in prison. Much of the appeal of this film comes from Mann's style. There are two long sequences involving heists in this film that have no dialog whatsoever, reminding me very much of the excellent French 40s noir - Rififi. These sequences are exciting to watch and just really cool to see in action. The rest of the film makes sure to have carefully setup shots, mainly at night that certainly give off the noir vibe that Mann really likes. His handling of the photography in this movie is excellent and the 80s scoring from Tangerine Dream certainly adds to this. Its a bit slow paced, but there are standout sequences, with Caan giving a great performance, and the look of the film keeping everything cool and stylish. Frank: I am the last guy in the world that you wanna fuck with.

• Cassie H

  
  This movie was awesome. James Caan is a great actor and The Godfather proved that. Although, I like The Godfather the teeniest bit more,this movie was action-packed and a great movie!!!

• Ken S

  
  Michael Mann welcomes Neon-Noir to the world.

• Stephen M

  
  It would take another 15 years for Michael Mann to perfect the Melvillian heist movie with "Heat", but this was an excellent first attempt. I never really bought the romantic sub-plot with Tuesday Weld but it did allow for a funny scene at an adoption agency. It would have… More
  It would take another 15 years for Michael Mann to perfect the Melvillian heist movie with "Heat", but this was an excellent first attempt. I never really bought the romantic sub-plot with Tuesday Weld but it did allow for a funny scene at an adoption agency. It would have been a nice touch for James Caan to have played the Jon Voight role in "Heat"...

• Michael S

  
  Great, Great film. Mann's second best next to heat.

• Jeffrey M

  
  Michael Mann's first theatrical film set the bar high for what would become a very illustrious career. The film is beautifully shot, well acted, stylistic, atmospheric, appropriately moody, and always engrossing. In short, it's what Michael Mann does best. You can see all of… More
  Michael Mann's first theatrical film set the bar high for what would become a very illustrious career. The film is beautifully shot, well acted, stylistic, atmospheric, appropriately moody, and always engrossing. In short, it's what Michael Mann does best. You can see all of his tendencies on display here, and to great effect, save perhaps his sense of action, which he would later improve on drastically. On its own merits, Thief is a truly great film, a smart heist/crime drama, done in a fashion that would be imitated by many. It's not his masterpiece (Heat), but it's a must see for all Mann fans. 4.5/5 Stars

• Fascade F

  
  A classic Michael Mann directed movie that at time reminded me of "Miami Vice"....the way it ran in a sense. James Caan is not taking any punches or prisoners as he has choosen to take on one more and his last score. It seems as if his current employer refuses to let him… More
  A classic Michael Mann directed movie that at time reminded me of "Miami Vice"....the way it ran in a sense. James Caan is not taking any punches or prisoners as he has choosen to take on one more and his last score. It seems as if his current employer refuses to let him out of his thieving contractact...so it seems as if James Caan has got to show him that what he says he means...see this it was pretty good!

• Danny R

  
  Michael Mann's stunning directorial film debut is a mesmerizing crime drama with a bravura star performance by James Caan as Frank, a master jewel thief caught between corrupt cops and a double crossing syndicate boss named Leo, excellently played by the Robert Prosky Flawless… More
  Michael Mann's stunning directorial film debut is a mesmerizing crime drama with a bravura star performance by James Caan as Frank, a master jewel thief caught between corrupt cops and a double crossing syndicate boss named Leo, excellently played by the Robert Prosky Flawless performances by Willie Nelson, James Belushi and Tuesday Weld who is a standout in one of her finest roles. Highly stylishly cinematography by Donald Thorin and an extraordinary score by Tangerine Dream. Mann has brilliantly created a sense of heightened reality with this impressive caper film that has since become his trademark as a director. An exceptional cinematic achievement and one of the very best films of the early 1980s. Highly Recommended.

• Alec B

  
  There was a time where Michael Mann really hated everyone. He gives you hope for these characters then pulls it away, and makes you feel stupid for thinking that it could end in anything but a bloodbath. James Caan's performance is probably the best of his career. Its a dark,… More
  There was a time where Michael Mann really hated everyone. He gives you hope for these characters then pulls it away, and makes you feel stupid for thinking that it could end in anything but a bloodbath. James Caan's performance is probably the best of his career. Its a dark, violent thriller driven by fascinating characters.

• Justin F

  
  One of director Michael Manns first films and is why I sought this out. Upon watching you see its one of his with trademark style, broodiness and a number of cool scenes shot at night. It reminded me a little of The Wrestler whereby the main character tries to make a concerted attempt… More
  One of director Michael Manns first films and is why I sought this out. Upon watching you see its one of his with trademark style, broodiness and a number of cool scenes shot at night. It reminded me a little of The Wrestler whereby the main character tries to make a concerted attempt to turn his life around. Frank (Caan) is a talented Thief (clue in the title?) who has spent a large proportion of his life in prison. He has been out for a few years since and has a plan to change his life. He runs a used car lot and he is to do a few more jobs and then live a life or relative normality. Typically, as is the way with these things, the plan hits a few snags along the way. He goes from working with partner Barry (Belushi) to teaming up with crimelord Leo (Prosky) on bigger, more lucrative jobs in the hope that he can attain his goal faster. Ill confess that I like most of Manns films and I have a particular love for Collateral. As ive already said Manns style and look is evident throughout and the mood is complimented in the score by Tangerine Dream. Performances are decent enough from all concerned which all adds up to a worthwhile watch. The question that I see this film is asking is "Should you make a conscience effort to try to change your life for the "better" or are you best served accepting your life as it is and the kind of person you are and any consequences that may go with it?"

• Mike T

  
  Michael Mann's debut is a strong one - his cinematography, screenplay and set pieces are all foreshadowing of the great movies to come. James Caan is excellent in the lead role.

• Jim W

  
  If you liked Heat or Drive, then check this out.

• Stephen E

  
  Michael Mann's "Thief" certainly knows a lot about what it's about, I'll give it that. This is a director whose films are always straightforward and well-made, and they always come with the appropriate dialogue, characters, and pacing that go with the… More
  Michael Mann's "Thief" certainly knows a lot about what it's about, I'll give it that. This is a director whose films are always straightforward and well-made, and they always come with the appropriate dialogue, characters, and pacing that go with the territory. Now, while a lot of this can be fascinating to watch, the problem is that it gets tedious after a while. Sometimes Mann gets so caught up in presenting the events realistically that he prolongs them to the point where it's no longer interesting. Don't get me wrong: "Thief" is not a bad film. It's actually quite good. But Mann needs to focus less on getting his facts straight and more on storytelling and character development. Plus, the score by Tangerine Dream is awful.

• Dimitris S

  
  The King of Cool of Directors sets off his career with a smashing debut,clasping his stylistic camera techniques,in addition to a gripping storyline.A heist movie with the best James Caan and an ancient tragedy type ending,a film where macho attitude meets sensitive expression.

Read all 17 featured audience ratings