The Art of the Steal (2014)

One of my all time favorites.

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

"The Art of the Steal" from 2013 stars Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon, Terence Stamp and some Canadian actors.Russell plays Crunch Calhoun, a motorcyclist who throws exhibitions for money. He is also an art thief but he's trying to stay away from that. With his brother Nicky (Dillon) being released from prison, however, an opportunity presents itself for one more heist.The theft is to be of a religious book worth a fortune. They bring back the old team, and then Dillon comes up with what he thinks is a better idea. The end has a neat twist.Terence Stamp as a paroled art thief who has to work with Interpol is great, as is that of a Canadian actor, Jay Baruchel as Francie Tobin. Another Canadian, Jason Jones, who plays the Interpol agent, is way over the top. Russell does a good job as does Dillon. Russell is excellent at this type of character, he mines the humor that's there and his presence pulls things together.I found the film too derivative for me and despite some good moments, including the beginning which took place in Poland, and the first scam that's reminisced about, which was fabulous, I admit my interest waned. There have been too many of this type of film done better.

Even with the acting talents of Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon and Terence Stamp this feels like a low rent and lower budget version of the Ocean 11 type films but with more grittiness and less smugness.Some of the Canadian location shooting helps with the atmosphere. Rusell plays a likable ex con Crunch who has done time in a Polish prison for his brother Nicky (Dillon.) Crunch recruits his old team together including his deceitful brother to forge replicas of valuable historical books that they plan to steal.Jay Baruchel plays the rookie so he gets the exposition along with the audience. Stamp plays an informer forms a comical double act with an uptight Interpol agent who is hell bent on bringing down Crunch and his gang.The film wants to be a stylish caper film like Gambit, with fast action and plenty of quips. Its formulaic and succeeds largely due to the charm of its cast. Anyone who have seen the television series Hustle or Leverage will suspect that there is more to the plot and the denouement is told in alternate flashbacks as we find out who the real mark was all along.

Heist movies are usually popular, but guys like Luc Besson or Guy Ritchie have introduced us with so skillful creations that it is virtually difficult to excel them. Nevertheless, people keep on trying, and if there are witty angles and/or distinct cast, then the result is good as well. The Art of the Steal is a fine example of the latter, as its 85 minutes are filled with witty and funny lines, unexpected twists, peculiar characters and noted actors, particularly Kurt Russell as Crunch Calhoun, Matt Dillon as Nicky Calhoun, Terence Stamp as Samuel Winter, Jay Baruchel as Francie Tobin; as for Baruchel, Francie is his role I have liked most.Thus, the movie in question is not a flabby hare-brained entertainment: you have to monitor and follow closely, as new angles and situations appear again and again. As the pre-ending and ending are also unexpected, you would most probably be content with what you saw when the credits are shown. Well done, Jonathan Sobol (director and screenwriter), although you remain still unfamiliar to me...

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning Scam artiste Crunch Calhoun (Kurt Russell) pulled off a job in Poland, that saw him turned in by his own brother Nicky (Matt Dillon) for a reduced sentence. A few years later, after a motorcycle stunt went wrong, he finds himself holed up in casts, until he's asked to retrieve the real copy of a stolen book, reuniting his old crew and setting out on a mission that is not all that it seems and everything can change in the blink of an eye.Kurt Russell seems to have disappeared in to the background in recent years, flitting as he always did between hit and miss, and now he pops up in this technically impressive, but overly flawed thriller, that actually declines in quality the more it goes on.The things that make it interesting to start with are the things that come to be it's downfall, with the slick, stylish opening, and the plot that requires your attention becoming respectively over whelming and just convoluted and overly complex. But it maintains a sense of substance and sophistication that never stops commanding your attention throughout, and while it's not the sum of it parts, it doesn't fail to cover the cracks. **