For his first theatrical feature, Michael Mann (“Manhunter”) took to the rain-soaked streets of his hometown, Chicago, for a stunning piece of neo-noir starring James Caan (“Misery,” “Rollerball”) at his toughest. Caan plays Frank, a jewel thief and former convict who is looking to settle down with his girlfriend (Tuesday Weld, “Who’ll Stop The Rain?”) and begin a family. But when his ‘fence’ is thrown from a window and the Chicago mafia begin to flex their muscles, his hopes of a quiet life become anything but… With a sterling supporting cast in the shape of James Belushi, Robert Prosky, Willie Nelson and Dennis Farina, lush electronic score by Tangerine Dream and the assured direction of Mann, “Thief” is a standout crime film that paved the way for the Mann’s later urban thrillers such as “Heat” and “Collateral” as well as Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive.
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