Film Reviews

Heist

• Rating:
• Director: David Mamet.
• Starring: Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, Rebecca Pidgeon, Sam Rockwell, Delroy Lindo, Ricky Jay.
• Details: US / 107 mins / (15PG).

Written and directed by David Mamet, Heist follows the fortunes of Joe Moore (Hackman), an aging thief who desperately wants to get out of the game. When his fence, Bergman (DeVito), tries to blackmail him into taking on last job, Moore must decide whether to take on the risk for one last huge pay out. This being a David Mamet film (The Spanish Prisoner, House of Games), nothing in Heist is, as it seems. Betrayals, double crossings and mind games are peppered throughout the plot, a practice that ensures things are never less than watchable. While there may be a few too many twists and turns to establish rounded characters, Mamet uses the actors at his disposal in an efficient manner, coaxing fine performances out of them - especially Hackman and the quietly impressive Lindo. Quality score, too.

Review by Garreth Murphy