Foolproof (2003)

Director:

William Phillips

Writer:

William Phillips (written by)

Release Date:

3 October 2003 (Canada)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

No more games.

Plot:

Kevin, Sam and Rob are founding members of a theoretical group which pulls off heists. Leo, a gangster, blackmails them into pulling off a real multi-million dollar heist. Now it's up to them to get out alive.

Plot Keywords:

Heist | Planning | Blackmail | Chess Game | Toronto

Cast

Ryan Reynolds	...	Kevin
Kristin Booth	...	Sam
Joris Jarsky	...	Rob
Sean Sullivan	...	Stan
Tara Slone	...	Maggie
Soo Garay	...	Hamish Receptionist
William House	...	Stanley Q. Hamish
Wai Choy	...	Harry
James Allodi	...	Detective Mason
Mif	...	Kenny (as Anthony Mifsud)
Duff MacDonald	...	Harlon
David Suchet	...	Leo Gillette
David Hewlett	...	Lawrence Yeager
Laura Catalano	...	Sandi
Philip Craig	...	Albert Humphrey

Also Known As:

À toute épreuve (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexual references.

Runtime:

Canada:94 min (Québec)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-11 | South Korea:15 | Canada:PG | Germany:12 | USA:R | Singapore:PG | Italy:T | Netherlands:16 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Trivia:

The movie was not only the widest release of a Canadian movie in history (as of October 2003), but had a record-breaking marketing budget of $2 million.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The counterbalance of the elevator passes the elevator at several different floors. The first time when they hang under it, the balance passes at something like the 4th floor. When Sam is going to track the guard, she is at the 22nd floor and the same happens as the elevator goes by. Both cases are not according to the indicators outside the elevator near the entrance; the 22nd floor is almost at the top of that elevator’s reach. This means the counterbalance should pass the elevator at something like floor 15, not 5 and certainly not 22.

Quotes:

Leo Gillette: I believe this is yours.
[holds up Sam's diary containing a record of their planned heists]
Leo Gillette: It's an impressive read: bold, yet meticulous strategies. I love the one where you tried to figure out how to pinch the Stanley Cup. It's very... Canadian.

Movie Connections:

References "The Addams Family" (1964)

Soundtrack:

Good Life

Great Unknown Action Movie

Kevin (Ryan Teynolds), Sam (Kristin Booth) and Rob (Joris Jarsky) are best friends and they develop plans of foolproof heists as a game since the times of the university, but without having the intention of executing it. After developing a complex robbery of a jewelery, their plans are stolen. Sooner, the mobster Leo Gillette (David Suchet), who has stolen the jewelery following the plan developed by the group, blackmails them with the following proposition: they have to steal US$ 20,000,000.00 in bonds from a bank, and he returns the stolen project of heist to them. Otherwise, he will deliver their plans with their fingerprint to the police. Kev, Sam and Rob decide to join the gang, afraid of going to the jail.

"Foolproof" is a surprisingly good action movie. The story, full of plot points and betrayals, is engaging and recalls movies like "The Italian Job", "The Sting", or "Confidence", among others. The nice cast and the excellent David Suchet have great performances in the role of a team with a weird hobby, and an amoral mobster. The music score is also great and fits perfectly to the action scenes. I really recommend this unknown movie as a great entertainment. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Jogo de Risco" ("Game of Risk")