Heist (film)

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Heist is a crime thriller written and directed by David Mamet, and released in November 2001. The film's cast includes Gene Hackman, Danny Devito, Delroy Lindo, Sam Rockwell, Ricky Jay, and Rebecca Pidgeon.

Tagline: Love makes the world go 'round... Love of Gold.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Joe Moore (Hackman) heads a group of professional thieves, which includes Bobby Blane (Lindo), Don 'Pinky' Pincus (Jay), and Joe's wife Fran (Pidgeon). During a mid-morning robbery of a jewelry store, Joe's picture is captured on a security camera, leading him to choose an early retirement. That doesn't sit well with Bergman (Devito), Joe's fence, who, after accruing a number of expenses in setting up another robbery, denies Joe and his crew their payment and presses them into taking on the other job -- the hijacking of a Swiss airplane carrying a large shipment of gold. With Bergman's hotheaded nephew Jimmy Silk (Rockwell) reluctantly brought into the fold, Joe and his crew agree to pull off the caper, but a series of shifting loyalties amongst thieves changes the whole complexion of their task.

Essentially a re-examination of Mamet's favorite device, the confidence game, the film was more of a success with critics than audiences. Roger Ebert is among the film's admirers, praising not only Mamet's trademark verbal constructions ("Everybody needs money -- that's why they call it money!") and restrained approach to on-screen gunplay, but also the care that the director takes in shaping the relationships between the principals. [1] The reaction among mass audiences, however, oftentimes leans towards confusion, bewilderment, and annoyance, especially when dealing with the twists at the film's coda. Fans of the heist genre alleged that, for a film titled "Heist," the film lacked any particularly interesting or innovative heists (especially considering the scribe). Such responses could very well be a by-product of Mamet's storytelling style, which makes few concessions to the mainstream.

Of note: The film marks the fifth collaboration between real-life husband and wife Mamet and Pidgeon.

[edit] Quotes

"Is he cool?" "My motherf#@&@#'s so cool, when he goes to sleep, the sheep count him."

"Everybody needs money. That's why they call it money!"

"Hey, you screw me on a Wednesday, you screw me on a Friday. I've gotta go, I've got my picture on a cereal box."

"Stay in the shadows." "Hey, everybody's gonna be be lookin' in the shadows." "Then where's the place to be?" "The place to be is in the sun!"

"You're the brass ring, babe." "Glad you like me."

"Hand to God, that bible stopped a bullet. Would have ruined that f#*%&r's heart. And had he had another bible in front of his face, that man would still be alive today."

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" "Yeah, I came all the way from China in a matchbox."

"Don't you want to hear my last words?" "I just did." <Blam!>

"Hey, buddy. You forgot your change." "Thanks. Makes the world go 'round." "What's that?" "Gold." "Some people say love." "Well, they're right too. It is love. Love of gold."

"Why did the chicken cross the road? Cause the road crossed the chicken."

"Nobody lives forever." "Frank Sinatra gave it a shot."