This movie is the standard David Mamet formula in a fun, small-town comedy. It’s sufficiently interesting and fairly funny, but best of all it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Closest comparison: It’s like The Holiday by way of The Spanish Prisoner.
Setting: Small Town Drama
Plot: Comedy of Errors
Tone: Slow-burn Comedy
David Mamet movies all seem to have the same feel to them, and Heist is no exception. His dialogue may strike some viewers as stilted, but its careful construction is also one of the main draws of his films. The twisting, turning plot keeps the audience on its toes, and eagle-eyed viewers are rewarded with subtle callbacks and motivational explanations again and again. It’s a smart setup but even casual moviegoers will be able to enjoy the clever heists without some of the more nuanced aspects of the plot.
Closest comparison: Any other heist movie, by way of David Mamet.
Setting: Crime
Plot: Heist
Tone: Drama/Thriller
This is one of the overlooked classics of the Heist/Con genre, and deservedly so. The acting and writing is stylized and feels almost more like a play than a film, but this is intentional and precise. Ricky Jay and David Mamet craft ingenious misdirections as what the audience knows about the story twists and turns, and for my money it’s Steve Martin’s best serious role. The flaws amount to one or two minor points that seem more unlikely than they needed to be by the end, and the saying of acting that will turn some people off. But it’s the details of plot and the poetry of the dialog that makes this movie so good and if you like heist movies but haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
