Crime drama director Michael Mann's debut feature, Thief, is his early stylistic brainchild, and a fantastically crafted one at that. Stealthily, Mann traverses the pitfalls of showy heists to develop a palpable human connection to the characters, more so than their goals and/or success. The film follows an ex-convict turned safecracker, Frank (James Cann), who pulls off massive jewel heists under the guise of automobile and bar businesses with his trusted security system hacker plus one. Mann's signature atmospherics highlight Frank's tumultuous life as he juggles the various facets of deciding when to call it quits with living a double life and his ties to a dying mentor still in prison.
Thief (1981)
Thief (1981)
Thief (1981)
Crime drama director Michael Mann's debut feature, Thief, is his early stylistic brainchild, and a fantastically crafted one at that. Stealthily, Mann traverses the pitfalls of showy heists to develop a palpable human connection to the characters, more so than their goals and/or success. The film follows an ex-convict turned safecracker, Frank (James Cann), who pulls off massive jewel heists under the guise of automobile and bar businesses with his trusted security system hacker plus one. Mann's signature atmospherics highlight Frank's tumultuous life as he juggles the various facets of deciding when to call it quits with living a double life and his ties to a dying mentor still in prison.