The Art of the Steal (2013)

Crunch Calhoun, a semi-reformed art thief, agrees to get his old gang back together to pull off one last heist.

Director:

Jonathan Sobol

Writer:

Jonathan Sobol

Stars:

Kurt Russell, Jay Baruchel, Katheryn Winnick

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kurt Russell	...	Crunch Calhoun
Matt Dillon	...	Nicky Calhoun
Jay Baruchel	...	Francie Tobin
Kenneth Welsh	...	'Uncle' Paddy MacCarthy
Chris Diamantopoulos	...	Guy de Cornet
Katheryn Winnick	...	Lola
Jason Jones	...	Interpol Agent Bick
Terence Stamp	...	Samuel Winter
Devon Bostick	...	Ponch
Elle Downs	...	Female Border Guard
Durward Allan	...	Julius Friedman
Dax Ravina	...	Sunny
Jasmin Geljo	...	Detective Brodowski
Vieslav Krystyan	...	Detective Kumik
Stephen McHattie	...	Dirty Ernie

Storyline

Crunch Calhoun (Kurt Russell), a third rate motorcycle daredevil and semi-reformed art thief, agrees to get back into the con game and pull off one final lucrative art theft with his untrustworthy brother, Nicky (Matt Dillon). Reassembling the old team, Crunch comes up with a plan to steal a priceless historical book, but the successful heist leads to another far riskier plan devised by Nicky. They fail to realize each other's separate agendas when their plan goes awry in this con movie about honor, revenge and the bonds of brotherhood.

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Plot Keywords:

heist | thief | motorcycle | hiding in a car trunk | interpol | 

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Taglines:

It takes a great artist to pull off the perfect con

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout including some sexual references

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jason Jones' wife Samantha Bee, and Chris Diamantopoulos' brother Gus lived next door to each other in the same downtown Toronto building.

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Goofs

In the beginning of the movie action in set in Warsaw but what we see is obviously Budapest with Danube and famous Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd).

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Quotes

Nicky Calhoun: I'm Nicky. Paddy, Francie, Crunch.
Ponch: Some shitty aliases, you all sound like chocolate bars. Where is Twix?

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the credits, the ice vendor with the slow business makes another appearance

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Connections

References The King's Speech (2010)

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Soundtracks

Groove in 'G'
Written by Wilbur Bascomb
Performed by Wilbur Bascomb & The Zodiact

User Reviews

It's not Danny Ocean caliber, but it is fun.

The Art of the Steal doesn't have the class of Ocean's Eleven, Guy Ritchie's eccentric bad boys, nor does it have the wry wit of In Bruges, but it does have enough enthusiasm, convoluted plot, split- screen framing, and seasoned cast anchored by Kurt Russell and Terence Stamp to make this dead-zone time of movie year bearable until May.

This religious texts heist, however, does have some class—art to be specific—and the Seurat original, along with some Mona Lisa recollections, is the main object of the crime. Russell's Crunch Calhoun and Matt Dillon's half-brother Nicky do one last heist, a thriller mainstay that promises much will go wrong before the denouement. Writer- director Jonathan Sobol's double-crosses and cocky hooligans last to the twisted end for a real "last" one.

With Jay Baruchel playing the greenhorn, and therefore the vulnerable part of the plan, fun ensues as he questions the sanity of the plan's convoluted steps. Even more fun is watching a deadpan Terence Stamp play a federal informer whose British accent and considerable knowledge of art inform every suspenseful moment with the exotic, the cultural, and the dangerous.

Part of the joy is trying to figure out where his character fits in with the lawful and the unlawful. Not happy, however, is the over-the-top reactions of Jason Jones' Interpol agent, Bick. Blame director Jonathan Sobol for not seeing the chasm between this sophomoric performance and Stamp's nuanced turn.

Kurt Russell has been in showbiz for at least a half century, and while his face shows some wear, his actorly sensibilities are sharply delivered in a film whose comic moments and frequent plot twists offer a brief respite in a waning but still ornery winter.

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

20 June 2014 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Fix

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$40,003, 16 March 2014

Gross USA:

$64,065

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$77,450

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Weinstein Company, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), Entertainment One

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1