Useless List Department: Best Heist Films
By Matt lays out the rules:
Now, to qualify as a heist film, certain marks must be hit, and that’s part of the beauty of the genre. Much like haiku, the constraints inherent in the form make the subtler details all the more important. A heist movie must contain: 1) The assembling of a team (the safe-cracker, the driver, the demolitions expert, the master of disguises, etc.) 2) a filmic explication of the heist itself which borders on, and often crosses over into, the sensual. 3) Uh-oh, somethings happened that we didn’t plan for! And 4) I’m sorry to have to write this, but it’s true: No chicks. Women only exist in the world of heist films to mess everything up. Of course, as with all rules, there are exceptions.
Indeed, the best of the genre always rely on playing with the rules. With that in mind, let’s proceed, in no particular order.
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels: Two teams, two heists gone wrong.
Sexy Beast: This one concentrates on the team building, althought the heist itself is more than an afterthought. Nothing really goes wrong, but our protagonist fears for his life even after succeeding. Ian McShane is awesome.
Ocean’s Eleven: The most self-conscious member of the list, and quite possibly the best as an exemplar of the genre. Every team should be led by either Bob De Niro or George Clooney. . .
Ronin: Yeah, I know, it has a car chase. It also has a team made up of Stellan Skarsgard, Jean Reno, Robert De Niro, Sean Bean, and Natascha McElhone. That should count for something. . .
The Score: The glory of genre film is that you don’t really need to do anything original to succeed. Last big heist before retirement? Check. Tension between young maverick and old pro? Check. Cool backdrop? Check. Nice twist at the end? Check. Three generations of the best that Method acting has to offer? Check.
Reservoir Dogs: Veers from the rules in that we miss out entirely on #2, and only really see the build-up and the aftermath. Both are so complex, however, that leaving Reservoir Dogs off the list would be criminal. . .
Heat: De Niro’s third appearance on this list, and I considered adding Jackie Brown before deciding that it really didn’t qualify. The gun battle after the heist isn’t terribly realistic, but then neither is the bloodbath in Reservoir Dogs.
Le Cercle Rouge: Just got out of prison? Running from the law? Have a good buddy on the Paris police force? I have a business proposition. . .
Three Kings: Clooney’s second appearance on the list. Matt thinks that this flick just brushes up against the genre, but it has a) the building of the team, b) the sensual development of the heist itself, in a grim Iraqi town, c) something going wrong, and d) no chicks. Of course, it breaks down a bit when we find the thieves have hearts of gold, but. . .
The Killing: Always, always, always buy new luggage before a heist; you’ll have enough money to pay it off later.
UPDATE: Commenters have reminded me of the following, some of which might crack the list, some of which certainly deserve honorable mention.
Bottle Rocket
Croupier
The Usual Suspects (team building at its best, and there are a couple heists)
Out of Sight (maybe the best play on the “women screw things up” trope)
The Good Thief
Haven’t seen Rififi or Bob le Flambeur. The Sting is a con flick, not a heist flick.