I'll tell you why so serious

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I discovered this flick at my local video store one day and thought, "What the heck, why not?". Only problem is that I fell deeply in love with this quirky masterpiece and every time I convinced my friends to watch it the video store had its only copy rented out.Anybody who appreciates complex characters in the mob world will enjoy its fusion of scatty pop piano and healthy dialog. Terrific ensemble cast that mesh well together. Pointy is the HNIC but Dink is the real brains behind the operation. Be sure to catch the sly knock against Sugar Bear's name on the way to meet Hot Sauce.Nice whack job on Pointy by the way. The Italians knew that Dink was smart enough not to clip somebody over "nickel and dime" stuff. It just goes to show that there is still some sense of right and wrong in the mob world. That goes double for Dink letting Fire Escape guy live.Bein' "beefless" is priceless! Not much more I can say about this film because all of you have already expressed just how awesome this movie is.Just for the record, I thought the "Can't take the bitch outta the ghetto" line was frickin' cheesy. I much prefer the line, "Thou shalt not be a blaspheming bitch.".

I have seen this film just by chance, and I have enjoyed it a lot. Alec Baldwin and Rebecca De Mornay are just fine, but without any doubt, it is Michael Jai White the spice of Thick as Thieves. Besides, Andre Braugher is superb too. The story? Nothing new, an old plot we all have seen many times before, but you should give this film an opportunity.

"Thick as Thieves" follows a crafty professional thief (Baldwin) as he does a job, gets ripped off, and seeks retribution. The result involves cops, black and Italian mobs, and the thief all trying to resolve the situation in accordance with their respective agendas. A slightly above average watch, this journeyman gangster flick is all Hollywood light drama, mildly entertaining, more amusing than serious, and good fodder for channel surfers.

This film has a good story, but you have to have a certain appreciation for warped humor to appreciate it. The characters range from mildly unusual to downright peculiar. Pointy (Michael Jai White) is a black crime boss who is trying desperately to be a yuppie, playing golf at the country club, owning a French restaurant and lecturing on culture to anyone who will listen. All this is highly incongruous with the drug dealing, cap-busting realities of his crime syndicate, which makes him a droll and entertaining character. Mackin (Alec Baldwin) is a meticulous thief, who does occasional heists for the Mafia. He is an obsessive collector of vinyl jazz albums and takes his dog on capers because he wants to spend quality time with him.When Mackin does a food stamp heist for Pointy, Pointy double-crosses him. This sets up Mackin's revenge, which encompasses most of the film. The vendetta keeps escalating and the Mafia starts losing patience with both antagonists, introducing a third element into the conflict. The plot has a number of interesting twists and the climax is quite unexpected.First time director Scott Sanders' direction was solid but nothing special. The music, especially the jazz, was excellent. His work with the cast was nicely done, adding a sardonic tone to the entire movie, although I thought at times he got carried away with the disjointed humor.The acting was generally very good. Alec Baldwin's quirky portrayal of this painstaking thief was delightful. Rebecca De Mornay played a very different character than we are used to seeing from her. She was terrific as the tough and impassive cop with an understated and sarcastic wit. However, the best performances were given by Michael Jai White and Andre Braugher. White stole the show with his oh-so-refined mob boss impression. Braugher was great as his cool and calculating lieutenant, with nerves of steel and a brilliant criminal mind.Overall, this was a good crime story that meandered a bit too much from the main plot. I rated it a 7/10. Add a point if you like wry incongruous humor because this film has plenty.