Thief

Thief (1981)

Genres - Drama, Action, Adventure, Thriller  |   Sub-Genres - Crime Thriller, Post-Noir (Modern Noir), Caper  |   Release Date - Mar 27, 1981 (USA)  |   Run Time - 130 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - R
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Synopsis by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

In Thief, James Caan plays Frank, a professional jewel thief who wants to marry Jessie (Tuesday Weld) and settle down into a normal life. In order to achieve his dream of a family, Frank--who is used to working solo--has to align himself with a crime boss named Leo (Robert Prosky), who will help him gain the money he needs to begin his domestic life. Frank plans to retire after the heist, yet he finds himself indebted to Leo and he struggles to break free. Thief is the first feature film from director Michael Mann and it seethes with his stylish, atmospheric direction. Though his cool approach may put off some viewers, it's a distinctive and effective story-telling approach, and Caan's performance ranks among his very best, making Thief a crime movie like few others.

Characteristics

Moods

Keywords

thief, fiancee, girlfriend, jewel-robbery, mob-boss, money, retirement

Attributes

High Artistic Quality, Sleeper