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How entertaining? ★★★★☆
Thought provoking? ★☆☆☆☆ 2 November 2012
This a movie review of THE THIEVES. |
“I’m a thief, so what?” Pepsee to Macau Park
THE THIEVES shouldn’t work, but somehow it does, just, by the skin of its teeth. The cheesy opening credits and pre-title flippant art robbery comedy bodes badly. Then there’s the initial dubious portrayal of women, which has a worrying whiff of chauvinism. Thankfully, those worries slowly evaporate as the narrative plays out. I use ‘narrative’ in the loosest sense. The movie that we start with is not the one we end on. And that’s not a criticism. I find films that are a morass of genres usually a pleasure, because you don’t know where you’re heading. How often does mainstream cinema offer that? An example is BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF; though THE THIEVES is not close to the craft of that nutty rollercoaster ride. Director Dong-Hoon Choi introduced the movie with his stated aim of creating something fun. And that’s what he largely achieved.
THE THIEVES shouldn’t work, but somehow it does, just, by the skin of its teeth. The cheesy opening credits and pre-title flippant art robbery comedy bodes badly. Then there’s the initial dubious portrayal of women, which has a worrying whiff of chauvinism. Thankfully, those worries slowly evaporate as the narrative plays out. I use ‘narrative’ in the loosest sense. The movie that we start with is not the one we end on. And that’s not a criticism. I find films that are a morass of genres usually a pleasure, because you don’t know where you’re heading. How often does mainstream cinema offer that? An example is BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF; though THE THIEVES is not close to the craft of that nutty rollercoaster ride. Director Dong-Hoon Choi introduced the movie with his stated aim of creating something fun. And that’s what he largely achieved.
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An international consortium of superlative burglars comes together. Six are from South Korea, and four from Hong Kong. Apart from a few connections, how they ended up being connected is not delved into. Like so much of developments, we are meant to take a massive leap of faith. Many films fall apart under microscopic scrutiny, but even a brief backwards glance during THE THIEVES causes a cry of WTF? But the pacing is locomotive-like, keep up or fall off. Close calls, rat-a-tat dialogue and energetic set-pieces are the order. Heist caper evolves into action thriller.
The leader of the motley crew is Macau Park. Park’s 10 as it were. Their target is a $30 million diamond that for no apparent logical reason will be travelling with Madame Tiffany, the moll squeeze of a merciless Hong Kong gangster Wei Hang, visiting a high roller casino in Macau. Why the filmmakers decided to name the lead after the country that the majority of THE THIEVES is set is anybody’s guess? As the heist unfolds, flashbacks and subplots are cross-cut establishing duplicity, retribution and multiple love stories. More entertainment should have such ambitions.
There are problems that otherwise would’ve made for a more memorable experience: the comedy doesn’t translate well, and the most heinous crime is that the main protagonist is too bland - a shame as Yun-seok Kim was better utilised in the exhilarating duo of THE CHASER and THE YELLOW SEA. And the mechanics of the action sequences are ludicrous. However, instead of going down a tired route of pat larceny tidily resolved, the casino take down goes spectacularly wrong. Shoot-outs, chases, self-sacrifice, death. The crummy jokes and confidence trickster japes suddenly get exciting. Sit up straight in your seat and roll with it.
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