Kurt Russell is a man’s man. The goodwill that he’s built up since starring in Disney teen films to his hallmark films of Escape From New York and Big Trouble in Little China have always made him worth watching. The Art of the Steal is an ensemble crime movie that is better than you think it might be. It has shades of The Usual Suspects with Ocean’s 11, a bit of double cross and a deep cast that add up to a fun movie that’ll keep you entertained for most of its running time.
Russell plays Crunch Calhoun a third tier art thief who also does works as a motorcycle daredevil. I rolled my eyes when I saw his character bio too, but it works. Crunch and his 3 person crew are doing one last job in an eastern European country. Things go wrong and Crunch ends up doing big time in a filthy prison after a double cross by his brother.
Once on the outside he rehabilitates himself in his previous profession, the motorcycle daredevil . An opportunity presents itself to do one last job-again but with a bigger payout.
The plot seems cliché but the direction, set up and sense of humor make the film snappy and fun. It’s because of the light, airy, fun tone of the movie, especially the first half that you forgive any of the film’s dry spots.
It does a good job of establishing the plot, which can be confusing-in a simple, direct manner that makes you fully understand what’s happening. Once the basic plot is established the give and take between the actors is good, but some of them are better than others. Terrance Stamp is great in everything he does, no exception here as he plays a con man who is assisting Interpol. Jay Baruchel and Matt Dillon are also good players as the apprentice and Crunch’s brother.
What’s is entertaining about the movie is that all of the twists are full understandable once you look at them from the correct angle. It’s a movie about good people doing criminal things where only other criminals get hurt. The Art of the Steal is rated R for violence and adult language.
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