The Art of the Steal (2013)

Crunch Calhoun, a semi-reformed art thief, agrees to get his old gang back together to pull off one last heist. (IMDb)

There’s good humour here, but the editing feels like a cheap Ocean’s knock-off, the cast’s charisma and chemistry is inconsistent (Dillon is good and Baruchel does his job as comic relief, but Welsh is annoying, “Lola” inconsequential, and Russell overacts), the heists, while fun, are too brief, and the final twist has unconvincing build-up, is revealed much too quickly to revel in, and is anti-climatic to boot. There’s enough here to keep a caper film fan interested, but not enough to satisfy.

6/10 (Mediocre)

 

The Outsiders (1983)

The rivalry between two gangs, the poor Greasers and the rich Socs, only heats up when one gang member kills a member of the other. (IMDb)

The story and characters here definitely have their youthful charm, with the film’s grimy aesthetic and dark plot twists adding some grit. Technically, however, the film is hit or miss. Dialogue delivery (and there’s a lot of it) is suspect and causes some scenes to really drag, and the rollicking soundtrack, while at times enjoyable, at others blares on through conversations and contrasts with what feels like should be somber moments. An engaging story that could have been presented better.

6.5/10 (Alright)