Review

If there is honor among thieves, some of the characters in writer-director Mamet's edgy thriller Heist have long forgotten such a mantra. A couple others haven't, and it's part of the fun deciphering just who is who when a veteran thief is coerced for one last big sting. As expertly played by Hackman, Joe Moore is the kind of team leader who leaves little to chance -- his back-up plans have back-up plans. When he has no choice but to accept his fence Bergman's (DeVito) offer for a high-stakes heist, Joe and his crew embark on a dangerous mission with Bergman's wild-card of a nephew in tow. Sure the set-up has almost become a cliché (2001's The Score used the same formula to even greater effect), but whereas other heist films concentrate on the heist itself, Mamet is far more interested in his characters and how each will react to every twist. Mamet isn't as complete with the roles of Joe's wife and Bergman's nephew as other characters, and their motivations often ring false. But the strength of the piece is in Hackman's robust character and determined portrayal, elevating a story that -- when it wants to be -- can be quite smart.