Michael Mann's debut film shows signs of greatness and what would follow. Mr. Mann is a man that knows how to get the best out of his movies, as he clearly shows in the 1981 "Thief". His adaptation of Frank Hohimer's "The Home Invaders" proved to be the right choice. Mr. Mann has to be congratulated about the atmosphere he created for the film and the brilliant music score by Tangerine Dream.
The film concentrates in Frank, the professional thief at the center of the action. Frank is a complex character. He has been in prison, but has no intention of ever going back. If the caper one witnesses at the start of the film was amazing, Mr. Mann had a bigger surprise for us in what Frank and his crew achieve with the job they pull at the end of the film! Frank seems to be a loner. When he meets Jessie, he goes too rough on her, denoting he might like women, but he doesn't know how to treat a wounded soul like this beautiful lady. The scene where Frank takes Jessie into the all night diner, and speak frankly to her, has an improvised look. Whether the director encouraged his star to do so, one will never know, but that's the way it struck us.
Frank's association with the fatherly mob figure Leo proves to be something he wouldn't normally do. Frank attracts, as a result of this partnership, the corrupt cops from Chicago. They know he is hiding behind the car dealer's front and want to shake him up. Frank is way too cool to have anything to do with them, which infuriates these bad detectives following him.
The final scenes show how Frank outfoxes Leo. He has to act tough in order to get Jessie to leave with the infant. Right after that we are treated at a few bombings as Frank is erasing his trail. The final moments at Leo's home is well paced with the violence exploding to a crescendo as we watch how Frank confronts Leo's gang.
James Caan has one of the best moments of his long and distinguished career playing Frank. The actor, under the guidance of Mr. Mann, gives what might be, the performance of his lifetime. Mr. Caan's instincts plays a big dividend. He makes Frank a likable man on the wrong side of the law.
Robert Prosky plays Leo with great panache. This cunning old man feels he can get away with swindling a thief, but in the end, he is proved wrong. Mr. Prosky, a distinguished theater actor, makes an invaluable contribution to the film.
Tuesday Weld, as Jessie, doesn't have too much to do, since the emphasis is on showing Frank. Ms. Weld is not seen as much as one would like to, and it's a shame because she is an intelligent presence in whatever she plays. James Belushi is right in his part. Willie Nelson shows up briefly in a couple of good scenes.
Mr. Mann's film debut heralded there would be better things coming, although if he had only directed "The Thief", he could have felt satisfied of what he accomplished.
The film concentrates in Frank, the professional thief at the center of the action. Frank is a complex character. He has been in prison, but has no intention of ever going back. If the caper one witnesses at the start of the film was amazing, Mr. Mann had a bigger surprise for us in what Frank and his crew achieve with the job they pull at the end of the film! Frank seems to be a loner. When he meets Jessie, he goes too rough on her, denoting he might like women, but he doesn't know how to treat a wounded soul like this beautiful lady. The scene where Frank takes Jessie into the all night diner, and speak frankly to her, has an improvised look. Whether the director encouraged his star to do so, one will never know, but that's the way it struck us.
Frank's association with the fatherly mob figure Leo proves to be something he wouldn't normally do. Frank attracts, as a result of this partnership, the corrupt cops from Chicago. They know he is hiding behind the car dealer's front and want to shake him up. Frank is way too cool to have anything to do with them, which infuriates these bad detectives following him.
The final scenes show how Frank outfoxes Leo. He has to act tough in order to get Jessie to leave with the infant. Right after that we are treated at a few bombings as Frank is erasing his trail. The final moments at Leo's home is well paced with the violence exploding to a crescendo as we watch how Frank confronts Leo's gang.
James Caan has one of the best moments of his long and distinguished career playing Frank. The actor, under the guidance of Mr. Mann, gives what might be, the performance of his lifetime. Mr. Caan's instincts plays a big dividend. He makes Frank a likable man on the wrong side of the law.
Robert Prosky plays Leo with great panache. This cunning old man feels he can get away with swindling a thief, but in the end, he is proved wrong. Mr. Prosky, a distinguished theater actor, makes an invaluable contribution to the film.
Tuesday Weld, as Jessie, doesn't have too much to do, since the emphasis is on showing Frank. Ms. Weld is not seen as much as one would like to, and it's a shame because she is an intelligent presence in whatever she plays. James Belushi is right in his part. Willie Nelson shows up briefly in a couple of good scenes.
Mr. Mann's film debut heralded there would be better things coming, although if he had only directed "The Thief", he could have felt satisfied of what he accomplished.