Classic Heist Films

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

This version is a 1999 American heist film directed by John McTiernan. The film, starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo and Denis Leary, is a remake of the 1968 film of the same name.

Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) is a wealthy private equity banker who aches for a challenge. Despite all of his success in business (and with women), he feels bored. 

In order to cure his boredom, Crown orchestrates an elaborate heist to steal a painting by Monet, valued at $100 million, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The insurers of the artwork send Catherine Banning (Rene Russo), an insurance investigator, to assist  NYPD Detective Michael McCann (Denis Leary) in solving the crime.

Oceans Thirteen (2007)

Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), in an attempt to legitimize himself in his later years, is conned by his business partner and ruthless businessman Willy Bank (Al Pacino). When Bank forces Tishkoff to sign over the ownership rights of the new hotel/casino they were building together, Reuben suffers a heart attack from the revelation and becomes bed-ridden. Danny Ocean (George Clooney), after attempting to negotiate with Bank, gathers up his partners-in-crime and plans to completely ruin Bank on the night of the opening of the casino, “The Bank”, as a way to get revenge for Reuben.
A classic end to the trilogy.

Oceans Twelve (2004)

Terry Benedict (Andy García) rounds up the original eleven members of Danny Ocean’s (George Clooney) gang, demanding they return the $160 million they stole from his casinos with $38 million in interest. Short by half, the group schemes to stage another heist in Europe to avoid problems with United States authorities.

The Score (2001)

The Score starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Marlon Brando, Angela Bassett. Directed by Frank Oz. The cast alone makes this a must see! Nick Wells, a professional criminal, decides to leave the business for good. His plan is to live in peace with his girl Diane, running his Montreal jazz club. Soon afterward, Max, his good friend and financial partner, comes along with an offer Nick can’t refuse: A historical and priceless French scepter has been discovered while being smuggled into the country and soon to be returned to France. Nick has to team up with Max’s man inside, the young, talented and aggressive thief Jack Teller to get the precious item. Only one question remains: Who will trick whom out of their share?

Rififi (1955)

There is so much more to Rififi than the fact it is a fantastic heist film. I could go on for ages talking about it, from the inspired use of an umbrella to the 100% dialogue free heist, and even the fact that it was made by the HUAC black-listed helmer Jules Dassin, Rififi has all the marks of a classic film. The tension mounts and the ending is spectacular.

Inside Man (2006)

Spike Lee’s foray into the category saw a more moral and conscientious motive for its anti-hero thief, played by Clive Owen, whose clever plan includes dressing hostages like  robbers so that cops can’t tell friend and foe apart. Ultimately, the heist exposes the dark secret of the bank’s founder; Denzel Washington plays the detective at first flummoxed, and then enlightened by his adversary’s plot to take down that man.

The perfect bank robbery? what do you think?

Asphalt Jungle (1950)

John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle features a cool-as-a-cucumber jewellery store heist whose central event is rendered in an eleven-minute sequence of criminal professionalism, until, of course, the best laid plans go wrong. Sterling Hayden is the gang’s leader, but Marilyn Monroe steals scenes in the role that first got her noticed.

Additional scene (the double cross)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2gDruB61Lk

Flawless (2007)

The film is set in London. Mr. Hobbs, a janitor played by Michael Caine, is about to retire but does not want to leave empty-handed. He asks Laura Quinn (Demi Moore), a disgruntled executive victimized by the glass ceiling, to help him steal from the company for which they both work: the London Diamond Corporation.

A tight story, well acted and with a decent “how did he do it” twist in the tail makes this a worthy addition to the classic heist selection.

Oceans Eleven (2001)

When Steven Soderbergh set out to remake the essential 1960 Rat Pack heist movie, Ocean’s Eleven, some doubted if he could possibly match the original’s sophisticated atmosphere of Vegas cool. Soderbergh did so and more, wrangling his star-studded cast (George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts) through a fast paced set of feints and break-ins that empty out a vault containing the money of not one, not two — but three Vegas casinos. A must watch if you like the genre.

Oceans Eleven (original, 1960)

Ocean’s 11 is a 1960 heist film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring five Rat Packers: Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Joey Bishop. A gang of World War II 82nd Airborne veterans are recruited by Danny Ocean (Sinatra) and Jimmy Foster (Lawford) to rob five different Las Vegas casinos (Sahara, Riviera, Desert Inn, Sands, and The Flamingo) on a single night.