Michael Mann's Thief is a slept on crime film classic

[THE 101]

Every time I watch this film my love for it grows more.

I recently rewatched it and was blown away. I think at worst, this is Mann's second best film, and right up there with Heat.

It's just an incredibly rewatchable film with so many great moments. The opening 10 minute dialogue free safe crack sequence just sets the table beautifully. Tangerine Dream's score is God-tier.

James Caan just kills this shyt. A true movie star performance. And his monologue in the diner is his greatest moment as an actor.

The crime boss monologue to Caan is straight up

And when them guitars kick in during the film's climax

Incredible cinematography as well. Very evocative vision of Chicago.

Film is just cool as fukk.

 

[re'up]

A lot of scenes mirror Heat and De Niro's character, and many of the themes of criminality and the psyche that Mann always explored. The coffee shop scene is one. It's a brilliant movie, and one of my favorites.

 

[Lootpack]

Finished watching this one last week actually. The score from Tangerine Dream is one of the best I’ve heard and was the perfect complement to those dream-like night sequences. I don’t think I would like the film as much without it, it really enhanced everything. Mann’s films always have this way of looking beautiful but for a directorial debut I walked off super impressed by this.

I so did not want that last act to end.

 

[Zero]

Classic flick

 

[PoorAndDangerous]

Great movie. Amazing score by Tangerine.

 

[OmegaK2099]

Where the criterion tho?


Edit - found it

 

[old pig]

it’s streaming on prime...I’ll give it a watch...thanks

 

[Barney Rubble]

In my top 10 movies and I've probably seen it over 30 times. I told a producer on SOHH about how dope the soundtrack is and he made a beat and had Grafh rap on it.

James Caan called it his best performance and I agree.

Also don't sleep on The Gambler, another Caan classic.

 

[Lootpack]

In my top 10 movies and I've probably seen it over 30 times. I told a producer on SOHH about how dope the soundtrack is and he made a beat and had Grafh rap on it.

James Caan called it his best performance and I agree.

Also don't sleep on The Gambler, another Caan classic.

Really was ahead of its time stylistically and inspired a lot of other projects that followed. We wouldn’t have that piff, heist set-up music in GTA V without this.

And I ain’t no thief lol, but the safe cracking scenes looked so precise and methodical whereas other films I’ve watched wouldn’t go that in depth with it. Caan really was the incarnation of cool.

 

[mastermind]

The score inspired so many 80s action flicks. I was stunned to read the score got negative reviews at the time.

It’s basically Heat without the cops. Great movie.

 

[THE 101]

Really was ahead of its time stylistically and inspired a lot of other projects that followed. We wouldn’t have that piff, heist set-up music in GTA V without this.

And I ain’t no thief lol, but the safe cracking scenes looked so precise and methodical whereas other films I’ve watched wouldn’t go that in depth with it. Caan really was the incarnation of cool.

Mann had the actors learn how to crack safes for real and all the safe cracking equipment you see in the film are real.

The attention to detail in Mann's films are

 

[lamont614]

it’s streaming on prime...I’ll give it a watch...thanks

Bet

 

[FlyRy]

‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

 

[Lootpack]

Bet

It’s streaming on HBO Max

 

[NZA]

classic.