he opening scene features Frank (James Caan) drilling into a safe to steal some diamonds, complete with camerawork that zooms into the hole, long pauses to detail the equipment used, and Tangerine Dream’s hypnotic, pulsing soundtrack. It’s even storming outside, casting water and darkness down upon a getaway vehicle and Frank’s cohorts. But because there’s no timeframe or other suggested immediacy (save for the monitoring of a police scanner), a slowness exists that inadvertently dispenses with the tension that should be inherent in any robbery sequence. It’s stylized, but it’s not suspenseful, which becomes something of a trend for many aspects of “Thief.”

When he’s not cracking safes, Frank runs a used car dealership in Illinois – or at least uses it as a front. His latest acquisition of precious stones involves longtime fence Gags (Hal Frank), who meets an untimely demise, as reported to him by pal Barry (James Belushi). The $185,000 on the corpse ends up in the hands of L and A Plating company owner Attaglia (Tom Signorelli), who requires a gun to the head to arrange a meeting to give it back to Frank. Meanwhile, Frank spends time trying to date latest squeeze Jessie (Tuesday Weld), a waitress, while also contending with incarcerated mentor David “Okla” (Willie Nelson). When the Attaglia situation leads to a meeting with mob boss Leo (Robert Prosky), Frank finds himself working with some very dangerous people for a sizable score that carries considerable risks – but it could be his ticket out of a life of crime.

Writer/director Michael Mann (adapting a novel by Frank Hohimer) imparts incredible authenticity to this little tale of an ex-con and his troubles – from the settings to the character designs to the dialogue. Every shot appears as if filmed on location; all of the players, particularly supporting roles, are superbly cast, looking their parts and even coming across as if actual employees or background workers rather than actors; and everything that’s said sounds as if improvised by genuine crooks. “Thief” is gritty, stocked with disagreeable personas, and generally ugly (from the sets to the physical attributes of the participants), but it possesses a realism far greater than most of its crime drama peers.

The performances are also quite the highlight, with Caan embodying his antagonistic, irredeemable, yet strangely sympathetic antihero (made more so by the extreme corruption of law enforcement) with such ferocity and dedication that he’s unwaveringly convincing. A couple of character development scenes – one chronicling Frank’s time in prison, and another revealing a coarsely candid negotiation at an adoption clinic – are so sincere and severe that they outshine most of the gangster and heist thrills; the drama centering on relationships carries greater emotion and potency than the violence or action. Weld is also sensational, unveiling an equally damaged character whose personal hardships find her succumbing to Frank’s heavy-handed coercions.

The climactic heist, based on the intricate penetration of the vault at the Bank of California, does manage a power and uniqueness of its own, though it’s difficult to outdo the affecting nature of the calmer moments when Frank and Jessie open up about their feelings. This final score takes cues from Melville, avoiding conversations or music in favor of stretches of silence or the solo use of relevant sound effects. Eventually, when Tangerine Dream’s score begins again, it substitutes for the characters’ thoughts and concerns, transitioning deceptively to a paradisiacal shot before embracing the tragedy – and cinematic destruction – of a criminal in league with all the wrong accomplices. The finale also finally welcomes the showy display of bloodshed and vengeance that viewers will have been waiting for, though it’s somewhat unfitting for a picture that worked so hard to examine the realism and humanity behind professional thieves.

– Mike Massie