Thick as Thieves (2009)

A veteran thief recruits a younger crook to help him pull off one final job in order to repay his debt to the Russian mob.

Director:

Mimi Leder

Writer:

Ted Humphrey

Stars:

Rade Serbedzija, Morgan Freeman, Robert Forster

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rade Serbedzija	...	Nicky / Victor (as Rade Sherbedgia)
Morgan Freeman	...	Ripley
Robert Forster	...	Lt. Weber
Corey Johnson	...	Voutiritsas
Antonio Banderas	...	Gabriel
Gerrit Vooren	...	Bakker
Charles Venn	...	Transit Cop #1 (as Chucky Venn)
Atanas Srebrev	...	Transit Cop #2
Darrell Las Quevas	...	Transit Cop #3
Tom Hardy	...	Michaels
Ivan Petrushinov	...	Émigré #1
Victor Boichev	...	Émigré #2 (as Victor Boytchev)
Nickolay Hadjiminev	...	Émigré #3
Marianne Stanicheva	...	Madame Irina (as Mariana Stanisheva)
Stefan Shterev	...	Giorgi

Storyline

In New York, the experienced art thief, Keith Ripley, invites the bold thief from Miami, Gabriel Martin, to team up with him. He plans the heist of two valuable mysterious antique Faberge eggs, located in a safe, of the well protected Russian jewelry Romanov. Each egg is worth twenty million dollars on the black market, and Ripley needs his cut to free himself from his debt to a powerful mobster, known as Nicky. The reluctant Gabriel agrees to participate, after having a one night stand with Ripley's goddaughter Alexandra Karolin. Meanwhile, the persistent Lieutenant Weber, who has unsuccessfully tried to put Ripley in jail for twenty years, figures out how to anticipate the movements of the criminal in order to catch him.

---

Plot Keywords:

thief | faberge egg | heist | title directed by female | whispering | 

---

Taglines:

Never trust a thief.

---

Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, language and some nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English Russian Dutch

Release Date:

9 January 2009 (Taiwan)

Also Known As:

The Code

Filming Locations:

Sofia, Bulgaria

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Millennium Films, Revelations Entertainment, Equity Pictures Medienfonds GmbH & Co. KG IV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first of three movies to star Robert Forester and Morgan Freeman. They would alter star in Olympus Has Fallen (2013) and London Has Fallen (2016).

---

Goofs

When Ripley (Morgan Freeman) and Gabriel (Antonio Banderas) are talking on the rooftop you can easily see in Gabriel's sunglasses the microphone and the cameras.

---

Quotes

[First Line]
[In Flemish with subtitles]
Joost: The Russians think they own the world now.

---

Connections

Featured in The Code: Behind the Scenes (2009)

---

Soundtracks

Privecher
Traditional

User Reviews

Wrong Assumptions

In New York, the experienced thief of arts Keith Ripley (Morgan Freeman) invites the bold thief from Miami Gabriel Martin (Antonio Banderas) to team up with him in the heist of two valuable mysterious Faberge eggs of 1917 in the safe of the well protected Russian jewelry Romanov. The worth of each egg in the black market is twenty million dollars and Ripley needs his cut to quit his debt with the powerful mobster Nicky (Rade Serbedzija). The reluctant Gabriel accepts to participate after having one night stand with Ripley's goddaughter Alexandra Karolin (Radha Mitchell). Meanwhile, the persistent Lieutenant Weber (Robert Foster), who has unsuccessfully tried to put Ripley in jail for twenty years, figures how to anticipate the movements of the criminal and arrest him.

"Thick as Thieves" is an unoriginal movie full of clichés that gives the sensation of déjà vu to the viewer. There are many movies with impossible heists, and this one has nothing new in this regard. Further, there are many twists in the story and the conclusion is corny and commercial. The good points are the chemistry among Morgan Freeman, the sexy and gorgeous Radha Mitchell, and Antonio. Banderas. In the end, this forgettable flick entertains. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Jogo Entre Ladrões" {"Game Between Thieves")