Best Heist Movies

[Patricia Abbott]

After seeing the semi-pallid Ocean's Thirteen (okay, the guys looked pretty good), we got into a discussion of the best heist movies ever. Which movies stand out in your mind? For instance, someone said Dog Day Afternoon, but would that really count? Should a heist movie be mostly about planning and executing a heist and not sidebar into other issues.

[Kevin Wignall]

Oh, how could I forget, "Quick Change" with Bill Murray, Geena Davis and Randy Quaid, where the heist goes smoothly but escaping from NYC turns into a nightmare. Includes the great Bill Murray line when asked, "Say, what kind of clown are you anyway?" (Murray is dressed as a clown) - "I don't know, the crying on the inside kind, I guess".

[Vince Keenan]

I'm another huge QUICK CHANGE fan. I'll also second the vote for HEIST. For what it's worth, I think OCEAN'S THIRTEEN is the best of the series.

Favorite heist movie? Jean-Pierre Melville's LE CERCLE ROUGE.

[Patricia Abbott]

I think Ocean's 13 was the best of the series. But I think it was too driven by its own cleverness and sophistication if that makes sense. I hated that the one woman in it was such a robot too.
Or maybe I am just too distracted by so many pretty faces.
Never saw Le Cercle Rouge. Thanks. Oh Quick Change was a cutie. I remember him on a bus in that clown costume.
I'd forgotten Thief. James Caan, right?

[Patricia Abbott]

Oh, I did see La Cercle Rouge and only last year. Thank goodness Netflix keeps a list now that the memory is on the decline. I actually rated it five stars too. Shame on me.

[Ray Banks]

Seconded on QUICK CHANGE, RIFIFI and LE CERCLE ROUGE.

In fact, RIFIFI and CERCLE ROUGE have similar almost-silent heists, as I recall. Worth it for Yves Montand sniffing his liquor to ease his nerves...

[Ayo]

I can agree with sneakers and also the original Thomas Crown Affair! However the remake was not that bad. The Lavender Hill MOb would certainly have to be in my list as well (the original)

[charles thiesen, the only god on ning]

Everything so far plus The Lady Killers (original Alec Guinness version), Big Deal on Madonna Street (with a young Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale) hilarious heist comedy, and the recent Inside Man.

[Patricia Abbott]

What a shame the Cohen brothers version of The Lady Killers missed the mark so badly.

[charles thiesen, the only god on ning]

No kidding. I love Tom Hanks, but couldn't even watch the whole thing.

[Allan Guthrie]

RIFIFI, hands down. The silent 32-minute sequence is absolute genius. Can't wait to see the remake (not). Also love THE KILLING. My favourite robbery scene is in HANA-BI. And I have to agree with Vince about LE CERCLE ROUGE, my favourite Melville.

[Patricia Abbott]

How about Bob Le Flambeur? Too existential?

[Allan Guthrie]

It's up there, too. Just got a soft spot for CERCLE. Come to think of it, maybe I prefer LE DOULOS. Hah. Just thought of another that nobody's mentioned, and it's even in English: THE ANDERSON TAPES.