Heist movies, list your favorites

[Zinke]

Couldn't find any thread like this. If your a guy, you've got more than two braincells, and your not gay, you like heist movies. Maybe not ALL heist movies, but as Dane Cook says, there's something in every guy that makes them want to be part of a heist.

Me, I'm a huge sucker for heist movies of any kind. I loved Ocean's 11 and 12, After the Sunset, Heist, The Good Thief, Entrapment, Thomas Crown Affair etc.. You get the idea.

If I see a movie at the video store that I don't recognize, and the description even remotely sounds like a heist movie, I'm there. It's an automatic +3 on the 1-10 scale for me.

Now, that's not to say I can't tell a good one from a bad one. 'After the Sunset'? Crap. I didn't recommend it to most of my friends. I loved it though. I gave it an 8 on my personal scale, but figured anyone else would say 5 or 6. Scantily clad Salma Hayek + Heist, that's all Brett Ratner needed to do to get my money.

The good ones have a lot of great cons, and meticulous planning that makes you dumbfounded when you see how they pulled it off. Hopefully, avoiding any rolling of the eyes. Ocean's 11 was my dream movie. It didn't break any new ground, but damn did it get all the right elements together.

The more complex and intricate the heist, the better. A few doublecrosses are ok, but when every person has double and triple crossed someone else, you start rolling your eyes.

I'm pretty knowledgable on all the American heist movies released since the 90's, but I need to catch up on the stuff before then, and some of the more obscure foreign ones. I thought I'd start a thread for us to discuss them and see if anyone has some that others might not have heard of.

[Szlia]

As for oldies, I can think of Topkapi by Jules Dassin. One of the scene in there inspired the "Tom Cruise suspended in the computer room" scene from the first Mission: Impossible.

[Enchiladitos]

I would highly recommend Heist by David Mamet. And maybe try Confidence too.

[Modo Icecrown]

Heat.

IMO, Heat's the best robbery movie ever created. Best crime saga anyway.

[McCheese]

If I see a movie at the video store that I don't recognize, and the description even remotely sounds like a heist movie, I'm there. It's an automatic +3 on the 1-10 scale for me.

Agreed 100%.

My favorite heist movie of recent years is probably The Score, followed closely by The Italian Job (the new one).

Sneakers is another decent movie.

After the Sunset was fun, but something about it just seemed kind of off compared to other heist movies. Maybe a little too unbelievable?

I'm not sure if these would be grouped by most people into the heist movie category, but I tend to think of them in that way:

Matchstick Men
Confidence
and of course, the greatest of them all...The Sting.

I would highly recommend Heist by David Mamet. And maybe try Confidence too.

I hated Heist (which I was upset about, because Gene Hackman is by far my favorite actor of all time). I also hated The Spanish Prisoner, so maybe it's just Mamet's style that irks me.

[Zanoan]

Ocean's Eleven for the win. Great movie, lovely guyish dialogue and atmosphere. Good heist.

I liked Steal somewhat as well, even though I know you all hated it.

[dub]

-- For the record I have not yet read any replies to this thread --

Heat
Snatch
Oceans 11 (12 sucked balls)
The Thomas Crown Affair (a personal fave)
Entrapment
Mission Impossible
Heist (good, but overrated imo)
The Score
Sneakers

Heist-ish Qualities, But Still Good
Ronin
Swordfish
The Usual Suspects
Reservoir Dogs
Memento
Die Hard

I like Heistish movies where I get an epiphany at some point and yell "Ohhhhh shit, I get it now" in my head.

[goodrichwok]

Originally Posted by dub

Heist-ish Qualities, But Still Good
Ronin
Swordfish
The Usual Suspects
Reservoir Dogs
Memento
Die Hard

How was Memento a movie with heist qualities?

[dub]

qwertyuiop

Originally Posted by dub

I like Heistish movies where I get an epiphany at some point and yell "Ohhhhh shit, I get it now" in my head.

ps: what's with the ball bustin'?

[dak]

Always liked Killing Zoe

[Awanka]

Assassins was a good movie with heist-like elements. It was about as heistish as Ronin at least.

[Vorph]

Heat will always be my favorite, but for some more obscure stuff try:

The Good Thief
Confidence
Criminal

I like the twist endings that you don't see coming, yet when you watch it a second time all the clues actually are there. If the filmmakers cheat, it's no good.

[Grimble]

Already posted most my favorites but:

1. Heat
2. The Score
3. Resevoir Dogs

and not totally a heist movie, but Goodfellas had the Luthenza (sp?) heist and kicks all kinds of ass as well.

[SceleriS]

Heat wins hands down.

i forgot what that movie was with dean cain in it when they are going to a wedding and one of em robs a bank just before the wedding and they all end up robbing the bank at some point ...was a pretty good movie from what i remember.

the italian job was a pretty good heist movie (yes the one with marky mark in it) and the score too ..

Oceans eleven was definitely enjoyable

[Awanka]

I agree, Heat is my favorite too.

Another heist movie I dug was Dead Presidents, although I'm sure a lot of people didn't like it.

I like heist movies that are realistic in a sense, and put emphasis on the desperation and all-or-nothing motivation for a heist. No matter how well a heist is planned, noone knows how it will go down in the end. Small unexpected things fuck everything up, and all the players end up dead.