The Big Heist (2001)

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is a heist and gangster comedy about stupid gang of criminals. The film is Based upon the book "The heist" by Ernest Volkman and John Cummings, and has a good cast, topped by David Sutherland. The film is based on some of the years of the real James "Jimmy" Burke's life, also called "The Irishman".It's a true story, but still I think this resembles other heist comedies like "Lockout, stock and two smoking barrels" and such, but doesn't have the budget nor the roughness, but still it's is more funny and smart where it lacks the other qualities. Still it's really not functioning that well, and it's a bit strange why. It's difficult to point out why this isn't a hidden gem, but just another heist movie. With such a cast - and the acting is fine as well - it's almost a riddle, because the film fails to entertain the way it really should. It's probably down to the script. Maybe it's because the film fails at being a comedy? It starts off like a real comedy, but it fails on being funny after that. It's merely filled with stupid men, of which many does mistakes. And that's not enough. Quite interesting, though, since it's telling a true story.It also uses music in an extremely annoying way. Good tunes, not really that suitable, rather misplaced and mixed too loud in the mix. Amateurish, and it adds to the film not being a big success.It comes out mediocre, and more or less only for the fans of the genre, though it should have been at least a cult classic. It wants to be smart, but comes out quite ordinary.If you really want to watch a smart hues movie, go watch "The bank job".

"The Big Heist" is a small time flick about a small time mob boss (Sutherland) and his crew. Whether this tv film for A&E was based on a true story is irrelevant. It isn't gonna get any better than a low budget schlock flick either way. This marginally interesting story, which can't be taken seriously, wanders between comedy and drama as it fiddles around with boring details then sprints to its anticlimactic conclusion before running out of gas. Mediocre fodder for sofa spuds into mob stories. (C)

This movie takes the Lufthansa heist, which was a part of "Goodfellas", and expands it into a whole movie. While this is not a criticism in itself (and it's interesting to see how different screenwriters, actors, and directors handle the same factual material), "The Big Heist" can't hold a stylistic candle to G-F although it does contain much more detailed information; G-Fs, as far as I can remember, never mentioned the existence of Jimmy's (DeNiro's) children, one of whom plays a major role in "Heist".

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** The true story of the big heist in the 1970s at JFK airport is really a fascinating story. It's almost a Shakespearan tragedy about a newly released mobster Jim Burke played sympathetically by DOnald Sutherland who with his pals plan the big heist. Expecting only about half a million dollars, they steal about 8 million dollars in an elaborate well-plotted scheme. Jim Burke is no Castellano or John Gotti, he truly loves his men like family. They are on the bottom of the New York Mafia hierarchy. When they get the money, Jim hides it until everything is ready to release and cut for everybody. But when one of his own men mess up, he had to get killed. But the killing does not stop. The situation only gets worse for him. Soon, all of his own men are killed and he is all alone. Somehow the money does not matter anymore to him. He was placed in a difficult position by New York's mob leaders who threatened his own son's life. Unfortunately, he would die while Jim returns to prison for a minor crime in comparison to the big heist. You almost feel sorry for Jim Burke who did not have the heart to kill his own men to save his son's life. While the big heist was the big thrill in itself, it slowly became a living nightmare for Jimmy Burke.