Gene Hackman, Rebecca Pidgeon, Delroy Lindo, Danny DeVito, Sam Rockwell, Ricky Jay, Patty Lupone. Written and Directed by David Mamet. Joe Moore (Hackman) has a beautiful wife Fran (Pidgeon) who works in business with him and their partners Bobby Blane (Lindo) and Pinky (Jay). Their business is working as professional thieves. While working on a jewellry robbery, Joe is forced to enter the store unmasked to neutralize a store worker and is caught on security cameras. To escape the heat, Joe figures it's a good time to sail south on his well-appointed yacht with his wife and retire. His fence Bergman (DeVito) has other ideas. In a bit of financial trouble, Bergman refuses to pay Joe and his crew for the jewellry store until they go for last big score - gold bullion from a Swiss Bank. Joe wants no part of it. But he needs the money to retire to his yacht, so he eventually agrees. He wouldn't mind having all the money, so he sends his wife to cozy up to Bergman's cousin Jimmy Silk (Rockwell) and convince him she thinks Joe is too old and she is now on Bergman's side and will help Bergman and Jimmy get all the money. Is his wife actually changing sides? Can Bergman be trusted to hold up his end? Will Bobby and Pinky decide to cut their losses and bail out? Filmed in Montreal the same time as this past summer's thieves and betrayal flick The Score, Heist is a intricately plotted film noir with lots of twists and continually shifting allegiances. Like in all of Mamet's films, there is his trademark complex dialogue, this time hard-boiled with tough-guy one-liners. Most of the time, the rhythm of the dialogue works, although it sometimes seems a bit too cute to be real. Some of the best lines contain hidden meanings, such as in the exchange between Fran and Joe in the final scene, where Joe tells her "I wouldn't clear my throat without a backup plan". The theme of the film is well enunciated very early on where Bobby and Joe are talking just before a job begins, and Joe agrees with Bobby "Love makes the world go round ... Love of gold." The plot features plot twists and surprise turns of events, although after awhile, several of them were not that surprising. The film is quite entertaining and the fun of the film is watching an excellent cast interact with one another and listen to the wealth of interesting dialogue spring forth. Hackman, Lindo and DeVito worked together in the hugely entertaining Get Shorty, and have excellent chemistry. Hackman is the best of the bunch, delivering intensity and an air of cunning. Both DeVito and Lindo do justice to the dialogue given them. Pidgeon, who was outstanding in State and Main, looks great and is fully believable as someone two thieves might fight over, but is not as convincing and not given as strong dialogue to work with as the rest of the cast. For those who enjoy film noir and a good caper film, Heist is worth seeing. If you would like to respond, please click the E-Mail Press Here To Go To The Review List Page