A Man, a Woman and a Bank (1979)

The two least likely bank robbers in the known universe plan and execute... kind of... the ultimate heist.

Director:

Noel Black

Writers:

Raynold Gideon (screenplay), Bruce A. Evans (screenplay)

Stars:

Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Paul Mazursky

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Donald Sutherland	...	Reese Halperin
Brooke Adams	...	Stacey Bishop
Paul Mazursky	...	Norman Barrie
Allan Kolman	...	Peter (as Allan Magicovsky)
Leigh Hamilton	...	Marie
Kung-Wu Huang	...	Mr. Tsang (as Tony Lee)
Campbell Lane	...	Citation Cop (as Cam Lane)
Terence Kelly	...	Bank Manager (as Terry Kelly)
Nicholas Rice	...	Gino
Fernando Antunes	...	Agency Art Director
Denise Grant	...	Agency Assistant
Tibbi Landers	...	Photographic Model #1
Sharon Spurrell	...	Photographic Model #2
Annette Marie Dupuis	...	Photographic Model #3
Robert Forsythe	...	Shipping Clerk

Storyline

Two novice thieves are plotting to rob a bank in Vancouver. A photographer snaps a shot of one thief as he is carrying the bank building's blueprints. The would-be thief then begins a relationship with the photographer and attempts to retrieve the photos. Meanwhile, the thieves' plot consists of this: one man will enter the bank building after dark, while the other man sits in a van and uses a computer to unlock the building's doors. The final step involves transporting the cash to a freight ship waiting on the docks, for transportation to a money launderer in Macau.

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Plot Keywords:

photographer | heist | macau | blueprint | vancouver british columbia canada | 

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Taglines:

The Push-Button Gang... it was their first and last job.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 November 1979 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

A Very Big Withdrawal

Filming Locations:

Macau, China

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bennettfilms Inc.,McNichol

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film was partially funded by McNichol, a production company formed by teenage actress Kristy McNichol, her manager-mother Carollyne and their representatives. This is the only film the McNichol team produced.

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Connections

Referenced in Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)

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Soundtracks

When You Smile At Me
Lyrics by Dan Hill
Music by Bill Conti
Performed by Dan Hill

User Reviews

A pleasant surprise

A lighthearted heist movie with a lot going for it. First of all, the chemistry between Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams is terrific. He plays criminal master mind Reese who's planning to break into a new bank, which is just being built in downtown Vancouver. While stealing the plans to the building he's accidentally photographed by Stacey (Adams). He looks her up, trying to get the negatives, and he falls in love. This puts a little bit of strain on his relationship with his partner in crime Norman, beautifully played by Paul Mazursky.

Almost everything in this film has a relaxed feel to it. Conflicts are mostly resolved rather quickly and the story just sort of breezes along, with beautiful Vancouver locations. There are a couple of suspenseful scenes, when Reese and Norman are nearly caught, but mostly this is not about the heist itself, but more about the people who perpetrate it. As a comedy it offers no outlandish gags, but there are a lot of wonderful scenes, most of them involving Norman being a nervous wreck or Adams being way too cute.

I thought it was a very pleasant surprise.