Thick as Thieves (1998)

Director:

Scott Sanders

Writers (WGA):

Patrick Quinn (novel)
Scott Sanders (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

9 April 1999 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

It's all about payback.

Plot:

Two master thieves go at odds with one another as one sets the other up for a crime. The first, a suave...

Plot Keywords:

Mob Boss | Blood Splatter | Shot To Death | Revenge | Heavy Rain

Cast

Alec Baldwin	...	Mackin, 'The Thief'
Andre Braugher	...	Dink Reeves
Michael Jai White	...	Pointy Williams
Rebecca De Mornay	...	Det. Louise Petrone
David Byrd	...	Sal Capetti
Bruce Greenwood	...	Bo
Richard Edson	...	Danny
Robert Miano	...	Frank Riles
Khandi Alexander	...	Janet Hussein
Erich Anderson	...	Det. Tenesco
Reginald Ballard	...	Sugar Bear
Bradford English	...	Det. Kendall (as Brad English)
Janeane Garofalo	...	Anne
Ricky Harris	...	Rodney
Gavin Polone	...	Simons

Also Known As:

The Last Bandit (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violence and some drug use.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Spain:13 | UK:18 | USA:R

Company:

Gigantic Pictures (III)

Trivia:

When Mackin goes to the store and buys an LP: "Look To The Rainbow" with Walter Wanderley on organ and piano.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Among "Thanks to" (corporate contributors) in end titles: "Calvin Kelin", an obvious typo for Calvin Klein.

Quotes:

Pointy: "You can take the bitch outta the ghetto, but you just can't take the bitch outta the ghetto!"

Movie Connections:

References "The Waltons" (1972)

Soundtrack:

Malibu Pier Concert

Good crime story with a warped sense of humor

This film has a good story, but you have to have a certain appreciation for warped humor to appreciate it. The characters range from mildly unusual to downright peculiar. Pointy (Michael Jai White) is a black crime boss who is trying desperately to be a yuppie, playing golf at the country club, owning a French restaurant and lecturing on culture to anyone who will listen. All this is highly incongruous with the drug dealing, cap-busting realities of his crime syndicate, which makes him a droll and entertaining character. Mackin (Alec Baldwin) is a meticulous thief, who does occasional heists for the Mafia. He is an obsessive collector of vinyl jazz albums and takes his dog on capers because he wants to spend quality time with him.

When Mackin does a food stamp heist for Pointy, Pointy double-crosses him. This sets up Mackin's revenge, which encompasses most of the film. The vendetta keeps escalating and the Mafia starts losing patience with both antagonists, introducing a third element into the conflict. The plot has a number of interesting twists and the climax is quite unexpected.

First time director Scott Sanders' direction was solid but nothing special. The music, especially the jazz, was excellent. His work with the cast was nicely done, adding a sardonic tone to the entire movie, although I thought at times he got carried away with the disjointed humor.

The acting was generally very good. Alec Baldwin's quirky portrayal of this painstaking thief was delightful. Rebecca De Mornay played a very different character than we are used to seeing from her. She was terrific as the tough and impassive cop with an understated and sarcastic wit. However, the best performances were given by Michael Jai White and Andre Braugher. White stole the show with his oh-so-refined mob boss impression. Braugher was great as his cool and calculating lieutenant, with nerves of steel and a brilliant criminal mind.

Overall, this was a good crime story that meandered a bit too much from the main plot. I rated it a 7/10. Add a point if you like wry incongruous humor because this film has plenty.