The Heist
reviewed by: ReelReviewz@aol.com

MOVIE BIASES: Mamet? Hackman? Lindo? That's a no brainer!

MAJOR PLAYERS: Gene Hackman (Enemy of the State), Delroy Lindo (The One), Danny DeVito (What's The Worst That Could Happen? (that movie!)), and writer/director David Mamet (State and Main).

You know when you're watching a David Mamet film. The speech is clipped. Witty banter abounds. So does the F word. And actors who have been cashing checks for decades suddenly come to life. Such is the case with "Heist," a solid flick that differentiates itself from "The Score" only by the Mamet-man himself. And that in itself is quite a difference.

Just like in "The Score," the gang's all here: Joe (Hackman), the career thief who is forced into one last score; Fran (Rebecca Pidgeon), the hot, young wife of said thief; Jimmy Silk (Sam Rockwell), the hotheaded young buck; and Bergman (DeVito), the shady, morally bankrupt fence. Toss in the fiery Bobby Blane (Lindo) as Joe's right hand man and Pinky (Ricky Jay), one of Joe's affable lieutenants, for flavoring. Add verbal pyrotechnics, a plot to steal Swiss gold, and about half a dozen double-crosses. Stir. Serve hot and spicy. Enjoy.

To give any more away would be, well, criminal. Hackman, a Mamet newbie, wraps his gravelly voice around Mametspeak with the best of them, relying on his 40-plus year career to nail the timing this language requires. Lindo is routinely wonderful, Pidgeon (Mamet's wife) is comfortable in her ambiguous hottie role, and Sam Rockwell's headstrong hothead is always interesting to watch for the simmering volatility that is just beneath the surface. DeVito has patented the art of playing foul-mouthed, lowlife scum which, I hope, isn't the only role being offered to a man of his (short) stature.

But, for a change, the real star of this movie is the writer. Director Mamet is fine but Writer Mamet is outstanding. Typical Mamet flair for verbal theatrics in this movie include "I'm gonna be as quiet as an ant pissing on cotton," and "He's so cool that when he goes to sleep sheep count him." His plot throws more curves than a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, with thieves double-crossing each other with the ease of changing lanes. The challenge of making a movie like this is to throw out curves that not even our cynical, wired, one-step-ahead society can't predict. Mamet's got a few doozies for you, but once it's been established that you pretty much can't trust anyone, the anything goes atmosphere makes for one or two twists that are, well, a little predictable.

But don't let that hold you back from enjoying this movie. It's a flashy, solidly commercial flick (Mamet theater fans are probably rolling around in their arthouse coffeehouses). Does Mamet make the film world go 'round? No. "It's love…Love of gold."

@@@ REELS (THREE REELS)
It's pretty hot - go give it a shot.
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BIASES: mid 20s black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare
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