The great movie capers
They say that "crime doesn't pay," but it certainly has in the movies. Hollywood and the international cinema community have always found colorful movie fodder in the exploits of real -- and faux -- bank robbers and criminal masterminds. Even now, "The Bank Job," based on a wild true story, is playing in theaters.
Among the great Hollywood crime films include John Huston's 1950 "The Asphalt Jungle" and Stanley Kubrick's 1956 thriller "The Killing." And from France there was Jules Dassin's "Rififi" and Jean-Pierre Melville's "Bob le flambeur."
This Tuesday, Warner Home Video is releasing a deluxe two-disc set of Arthur Penn's seminal 1967 crime film "Bonnie and Clyde," starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the notorious 1930s bank robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. The film, which was nominated for 10 Oscars, including best picture, actor, actress and director, not only helped change the face of cinema but also became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring fashion and even music.
Here's a look at several fine cinematic capers.
"Inside Man"
There's are several potent reasons good why this 2006 crime thriller is Spike Lee's biggest commercial hit -- it boasts a sharp, clever script from newcomer Russell Gewirtz, spot-on performances from the likes of Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster and exhilarating direction from Lee.
The only flaw is the fact that the Owen's handsome face is covered throughout most of the film.
Shot on location in New York, "Inside Man" is a bank robbery thriller that examines multiculturalism, corruption and even the definition of good and evil. Owen plays the leader of a band of robbers who gain access to a bank by disguising themselves as painters. Washington plays the tough N.Y. detective Keith Frazier. Christopher Plummer also excels as the CEO and founder of the bank who hires a power broker (Foster) to make sure that the contents of his safe deposit box in the bank remains secret.
"The Score"
Frank Oz, whose eclectic directing resume includes everything from the musical version of "Little Shop of Horrors" to the black British comedy "Death at a Funeral," helmed this underrated 2001 caper flick that features Marlon Brando in his last movie. Brando makes the most of his few scenes as a crime lord named Max who approaches his old friend -- played by Robert De Niro -- who happens to be a safecracking specialist. Their target? A valuable antique at the Montreal Customs House. Enter Edward Norton as Jack, a janitor at the building who has been pretending to be brain damaged at work in order to get special treatment there.
