"Heist" is probably the least satisfying of all of David Mamet's pictures. It's OK, but nothing more. It's the usual Mamet fare, about a career criminal pulling one last job before retiring, replete with the typical cons, deceptions, crosses and double-crosses. I thought Gene Hackman's characterization was poor, his performance coarse and rough-edged, without the subtlety or smoothness of a trickster or confidence man (Phil Silvers would have been more believable). The other performances are passable, but Mamet's old card-sharp buddy Ricky Jay is just terrible. Mamet is normally very smart about how to spot Jay in films (as he did in "Things Change" making the terrific "this is a matter of public knowledge" speech), but here he is asked to carry a few scenes, and he's really hung out to dry. The scene where he explains to his little daughter why Daddy has to be away from home works, because he speaks in a false, condescending tone that parents often use with children. Trouble is, he sounds like that all the time, and in other scenes, he is really exposed.
But the real star of the movie is Mamet himself, that is, his wannabe dialogue that aspires to the cornball cleverness of something like "Sweet Smell Of Success". Some of the lines are funny ("everybody needs money, that's why they call it money"), others clunk with a heavy thud and you just cringe with embarrassment. Try these on for size:
"Nobody lives forever." "Frank Sinatra gave it a try." OR
"My MF's so cool, when he goes to sleep, sheep count him." OR
"Cute plan though." "Cute as a Chinese baby."
Ugh.
I'm a big fan of David Mamet's work, so I'm a little more kindly disposed to his failures. But at least his failures show some thought, effort and intelligence. 2 ** out of 4
But the real star of the movie is Mamet himself, that is, his wannabe dialogue that aspires to the cornball cleverness of something like "Sweet Smell Of Success". Some of the lines are funny ("everybody needs money, that's why they call it money"), others clunk with a heavy thud and you just cringe with embarrassment. Try these on for size:
"Nobody lives forever." "Frank Sinatra gave it a try." OR
"My MF's so cool, when he goes to sleep, sheep count him." OR
"Cute plan though." "Cute as a Chinese baby."
Ugh.
I'm a big fan of David Mamet's work, so I'm a little more kindly disposed to his failures. But at least his failures show some thought, effort and intelligence. 2 ** out of 4