The Train Robbers (1973)

Directed by Burt Kennedy

Starred John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, Ben Johnson, Christopher George, Bobby Vinton, Jerry Gatlin, Ricardo Montalban...

1973, United States, English

Well, not exactly a robbery movie. I can't say more not to give out any spoiler. You will have to see it for yourself. A simple, not a big movie. It has a a straight film grammar and it is a movie for a patient audience. If you are patient enough, you might enjoy it even more. It is pity that I can't tell you more :) Don't expect too much, but a simple, nice experience will be waiting for you.

To see the whole blog, please click here.

If you look for;

nostalgia

a simple robbery movie

a light robbery movie

surprises

a movie fully focused on the robbery

a small team work robbery

a western robber movie

then this is your movie.

***

If you liked this movie, I believe you might like also:
(available in the blog)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Maverick (1994)

*** 

Degree: Alternative Theft Movie

Sub-Category: Gold Robbery

Excellence of Robbery Plan: 1/5

Originality of Robbery Plan: 1/5

Quality of Robbery Action Scenes: 2/5

Actors' Performances: 3/5

Excitement Level: 1/5

Surprise Level: 3/5

Humor Level: 2/5

Originality of the Story in General: 3/5

Rating As A Robbery/Heist Movie: 3/5

Rating the Movie As A Whole: 3/5

Important Reminder: Below trailer might contain important spoilers.

 

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Directed by John Huston

Starred Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowan, Elisha Cook Jr. ...

1941, United States, English.

Here is one of film-noir classics of all time. This thriller & mystery is accepted as one of the best movies of cinema history by many, while some considers it as an ordinary movie.

With all my respect to this movie's fan, personally I didn't find it that much special. Maybe because I couldn't get it? Considering film-noir is very special genre, it is strictly matter of tastes. You might love this film-noir heist, or you might hate it. It is your taste.

The movie was nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Sydney Greenstreet's performance (which it was his film debut) and Best Writing, Screenplay in Academy Awards. The movie lost to 'How Green Was My Valley' (which I really enjoyed) in Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor categories, while Citizen Kane got Best Writing, Screenplay award in 1942 Oscars.

It is reported that the movie is word for word, scene for scene virtually exact with the original novel.

The American Film Institute listed this movie as 31st Greatest Movie of All Time and Best 6th Mystery of All Time.

To see the whole blog, click here.

If you look for;

a classic mystery heist
a heist movie from film-noir genre
accepted one of the greatest movies of all time
a Humphrey Bogart movie
nostalgia

then this is your movie.

***

If you liked this movie, I believe you might also like;

(available in the blog)

Bob Le Flambeur (1956)

*** 

Degree: Alternative Theft Movie

Sub-Category: Valuable Object Robbery
Excellence of Robbery Plan: 2/5

Originality of Robbery Plan: 3/5

Quality of Robbery Action Scenes: 1/5

Actors' Performances: 3/5

Excitement Level: 2/5

Surprise Level: 2/5

Humor Level: 2/5

Originality of the Story in General: 3/5

Rating As A Robbery/Heist Movie: 2/5

Rating the Movie As A Whole: 2/5

Important Reminder: Below trailer might contain important spoilers.

 

Widow on the Hill (2005)

Directed by Peter Svatek

Starred Natasha Henstridge, James Brolin, Jewel Staite , Gabriel Hogan ...

2005, United States & Canada, English.

A gold-digger story from seductive Natasha Henstridge. A sexy young hospice nurse is hired by a very wealthy man to take care of his dying wife. Soon after the death of the wife, the two wed. 

This TV movie production from Canada is inspired by true events, but unfortunately fails to avoid being predictable right from the start for the most of the audiences.

Although it is pretty predictable and lacks of any kind of surprises or twists, it captures the audience's interest  until the end. I would recommend especially for gold-digger, inspired by true events movie fans.

The movie was nominated for Director Guilds of Canada in 2005.

To see the whole blog, click here.

If you look for;

a movie inspired by true events
a gold-digger movie
 a cliche but catchy movie

then this is your movie.

***

Degree: Alternative Theft Movie

Sub-Category: Gold-Digger

Excellence of Robbery Plan: 2/5

Originality of Robbery Plan: 1/5

Quality of Robbery Action Scenes: 2/5

Actors' Performances: 3/5

Excitement Level: 2/5

Surprise Level: 2/5

Humor Level: 1/5

Originality of the Story in General: 2/5

Rating As A Robbery/Heist Movie: 2/5

Rating the Movie As A Whole: 2/5

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)

Directed by Philip Kaufman

Starred Cliff Robertson, Robert Duvall, Luke Askew, R.G. Armstrong, John Pearce, Matt Clark...

1972, United States, English with some Swedish dialogues

A nice title for a movie. Especially sounds exciting for heist movie fans. But the movie itself...

The gangs of Jesse James and Cole Younger join forces for a bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota. If you take it as a western or kind of biography, then you might enjoy it more. Other than else, don't expect too much.

The discussion over the movie concentrates mainly on the question 'if the robbers are hero or not'. The film is counted as one of the movies in evolution of 'Westerns' for some.

Nominated for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen at Writer's Guild of America.

To see the whole blog, please click here.

If you look for;

a Western heist movie
a heist movie about a historical outlaw celebrity
a low tempo heist movie

then this is your movie.

***
If you liked this movie, I believe you might like also:
(available in the blog)
 
Public Enemies (2009) 
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Thieves Like Us (1974)

*** 

Degree: Alternative Theft Movie

Sub-Category: Bank Robbery
Excellence of Robbery Plan: 1/5

Originality of Robbery Plan: 2/5

Quality of Robbery Action Scenes: 2/5

Actors' Performances: 2/5

Excitement Level: 1/5

Surprise Level: 2/5

Humor Level: 0/5

Originality of the Story in General: 2/5

Rating As A Robbery/Heist Movie: 2/5

Rating the Movie As A Whole: 3/5

Important Reminder: Below trailer might contain important spoilers.

 

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Directed by Arthur Penn

Starred Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons, Gene Wilder...

1967, United States, English.

Here is a movie considered as classic. It is more 'road movie' or biography than heist movie, so although I see this movie is listed one of the best robbery movies in some listings, it can't qualify as heist movie in my opinion. Alternative Heist Movie at best.

I wasn't impressed at all when I had seen this movie long time ago, so decided to rent it again to give another shot. I have seen it recently but the result is the same. I couldn't understand why this is considered as a classic. The matter of tastes...

Estella Parsons won Best Supporting Actress award in Oscars with this movie. The movie also nominated for Picture, Actor (W. Beatty), Supporting Actor (G. Hackman and M. J. Pollard), Actress (F. Dunaway), Costume, Directing and Original Screenwriting, while it won for Cinematography. The movies award collection doesn't end there, of course.


To see the whole blog, click here.

If you look for;

a biography heist
a movie considered classic
a lot of chasing
crazy characters

then this is your movie.

***

If you liked this movie, I believe you might like also:
(available in the blog)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Stander (2003)
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)
Thieves Like Us (1974)
Public Enemies (2009)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

***

Degree: Alternative Theft Movie

Sub-Category: Bank Robbery, Robbers
Excellence of Robbery Plan: 1/5

Originality of Robbery Plan: 1/5

Quality of Robbery Action Scenes: 1/5

Actors' Performances: 3/5

Excitement Level: 2/5

Surprise Level: 1/5

Humor Level: 0/5

Originality of the Story in General: 2/5

Rating As A Robbery/Heist Movie: 1/5

Rating the Movie As A Whole: 2/5

Important Reminder: Below trailer might contain important spoilers.

 

Thieves Like Us (1974)

Directed by Robert Altman
Starred Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, John Schuck, Bert Remsen, Tom Skeritt
1974, USA, English

This isn't a movie about robbery / heist but a movie about thieves. A character study. We have a trio bank robbers who are after fame, wealth, of course, and coke (soft drink) :) The robberies are simple. Get in, take it and run away.

As an interesting note, when well-known director Robert Altman decided to adapt the book (Edward Anderson), he wasn't aware at all that Nicholas Ray had previously adapted it as the cult classic They Live by Night (1949).

To see the whole blog, please click here.



If you look for;

Character study

A movie about robbers, not robberies

Period movie

then this is your movie.

***
If you liked this movie, I believe you might like also:
(available in the blog)

Public Enemies (2009)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) 
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)
Heat (1995)
Point Break (1991)
Stander (2003)

*** 

Degree: Alternative Theft Movie

Sub-Category: Bank Robbers

Excellence of Robbery Plan: 0/5

Originality of Robbery Plan: 0/5

Quality of Robbery Scenes: 1/5

Actors' Performances: 3/5

Excitement Level: 1/5

Surprise Level: 1/5

Humor Level: 0/5

Originality of the Story in General: 2/5

Rating As A Robbery/Heist Movie: 0/5

Rating the Movie As A Whole: 2/5

Important Reminder: Below trailer might contain important spoilers.