Heist (DVD 2002)

It had the cast, director, and screenwriter and yet it still wasn't that good. In some ways it was, but only because i kept seeing a lot of potential in it that wasn't taken advantage of by the makers. It may have been Hollywood productaion pressure that messed up this film. I am pretty critical in general, though - so, if you are looking for some good action and thrills, this will probably be ok for you.
If you are a Heist fan, then it might be worth seeing; but you are better off watching the Warren Beatty film: "The Heist", also known as "Dollar$" or just "$". It is one of those forgotten 70's gems that never made it onto DVD, though and it is really hard to get on VHS, too. Maybe a bit easier in the States.
This Hackman version has weaknesses and all in the most important places. I think Mamet is over-rated, because of this and other things. The previous reviewer said that there were plenty of twists and turns, but there were so many for my liking that it all seemed like a joke in itself.
On the otherhand, it is better than a lot of other films these days and for two or three quid including postage, it seems a good deal.
A good point about the film was that it had a pretty realistic portrayal of how these professionals carry out there business. It was pretty slick in parts, but not without a few mistakes. I give this 5/10; 2.5/5.0, which is about 3/5. Anything less than 2.5 is not really worth seeing. This film is ok.
Hackman fans may like it, too. Mamet also did Wag the Dog, by the way.