The Heist

The Heist – Roger is a museum security guard and has fallen in love with a painting, titled ‘The Lonely Maiden’, but is heartbroken when he discovers that it will soon be sold to a gallery in Denmark. Finding that two other security guards have their own favourite pieces destined to be sent to the same gallery, the three men hatch a plan to steal their beloved works of art and replace them with copies before it’s too late.

The Heist (2009) – Director: Peter Hewitt

Rating: 12

Running Length: 90 mins

Starring: Christopher Walken, Morgan Freeman, William H. Macy

Genre: Comedy, Crime

REVIEW: ‘THE HEIST’

‘The Heist’, also known as ‘The Maiden Heist’, is a comedy crime caper movie with genuine heart behind it. The film’s plot revolves around three older gents whose steady, predictable lives are suddenly threatened when their favourite art pieces are put on the list for removal. This is hardly the plot of a thrilling, rollercoaster ride of a heist movie! While it is a little slow and does not have the pizzazz of other heist movies like ‘Ocean’s 11’ and ‘Now You See Me’, the rather innocent storyline and lack of complicated plot twists makes it a comfortably entertaining film.

The three leads, Walken, Morgan and Macy all have their own stories to tell. Walken’s character, Roger, is slightly hen-pecked but dearly loves his wife who has her heart set on a holiday in Florida. Morgan is Charles, in a very unusual role for him as a quiet, unassuming and innocent man who loves the numerous cats residing in his home. Macy’s mysterious character of George is the more gung-ho, self-proclaimed war veteran who thinks he knows more than he actually does. While Roger and Charles are well-rounded characters, George, sadly, isn’t fleshed out enough to make him as likeable as the other two. His arrogant attitude throughout the movie grates a little in the otherwise sweet and innocent story and a slight smoothing of his rough edges would have made him a much more believable character.

In spite of its name, ‘The Heist’ is not a typical heist caper and therefore anyone expecting the usual ingredients of this type of movie may well be disappointed. However, it is a fun and gentle comedy to be enjoyed at one’s own leisure.

CONTENT: IS ‘THE HEIST’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

At the beginning of the movie, several armed robbers invade the art gallery that Roger works at. Roger manages to shoot them all quickly apart from the leader who he struggles to subdue. In the fight, Roger is shot in the stomach but he then shoots the leader in the head who falls to the floor, dead. This is seen directly on camera as a small but bloody wound and, while it is realistic, it isn’t overly graphic.

George’s favourite piece of art is a statue of a naked man. His obsession is first introduced when Roger and Charles watch him on security footage, standing in front of it and stripping naked. The footage is very blurry and shows George from a distance so nothing explicit is seen. There are no sexual implications to this and it seems as though George simply admires the statue as a perfect example of the male form. There are other times when George strips naked and his behind is seen. There are also a few brief shots of the statue’s naked form from both the front and back.

Due to George’s compulsion to take his clothes off around the statue, there are a few mild implications of homosexuality. This is not done in a judgemental way but George does become a little defensive and insists on a few occasions that he’s a married man (although his wife is never actually seen).

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘THE HEIST’ FOR KIDS?

‘The Heist’ is not a fast-paced movie. Nor will it keep you on the edge of your seat in anticipation of the (non-existent) twists and turns of the plot. However it is an entertaining character-led comedy that will keep you smiling from start to finish.

We wouldn’t really recommend this movie for kids as it is quite a slow film and will likely be too boring, however in terms of content, it should be appropriate for kids aged 7 and over.

Violence: 3/5 (the only violence in the film is at the beginning with the armed robbers (as described above), the gunshot wound to the head may be a little distressing for younger children)
Emotional Distress: 0/5
Fear Factor: 0/5
Sexual Content: 2/5 (some male nudity including a close up of a man’s behind. Nothing sexually explicit is shown)
Bad Language: 1/5 (a couple of blasphemous words are used and some mild cursing. The term ‘FUBAR’ (which stands for ‘F***ed up beyond all recognition) is used once but this is not explained)
Dialogue: 0/5
Other notes: Deals with themes of friendship, appreciation of art, treading meaning into something that others ignore and whether it is right to steal something that is special to you but not to others.

Words by Laura Record

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