The Art of the Steal – Der Kunstraub (2013)

The Art of the Steal – Der Kunstraub: Directed by Jonathan Sobol. With Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon, Jay Baruchel, Kenneth Welsh. Crunch Calhoun, a semi-reformed art thief, agrees to get his old gang back together to pull off one last heist.

“The Art of the Steal doesnu0026#39;t have the class of Oceanu0026#39;s Eleven, Guy Ritchieu0026#39;s eccentric bad boys, nor does it have the wry wit of In Bruges, but it does have enough enthusiasm, convoluted plot, split- screen framing, and seasoned cast anchored by Kurt Russell and Terence Stamp to make this dead-zone time of movie year bearable until May.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis religious texts heist, however, does have some class—art to be specific—and the Seurat original, along with some Mona Lisa recollections, is the main object of the crime. Russellu0026#39;s Crunch Calhoun and Matt Dillonu0026#39;s half-brother Nicky do one last heist, a thriller mainstay that promises much will go wrong before the denouement. Writer- director Jonathan Sobolu0026#39;s double-crosses and cocky hooligans last to the twisted end for a real u0026quot;lastu0026quot; one. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWith Jay Baruchel playing the greenhorn, and therefore the vulnerable part of the plan, fun ensues as he questions the sanity of the planu0026#39;s convoluted steps. Even more fun is watching a deadpan Terence Stamp play a federal informer whose British accent and considerable knowledge of art inform every suspenseful moment with the exotic, the cultural, and the dangerous. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePart of the joy is trying to figure out where his character fits in with the lawful and the unlawful. Not happy, however, is the over-the-top reactions of Jason Jonesu0026#39; Interpol agent, Bick. Blame director Jonathan Sobol for not seeing the chasm between this sophomoric performance and Stampu0026#39;s nuanced turn.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eKurt Russell has been in showbiz for at least a half century, and while his face shows some wear, his actorly sensibilities are sharply delivered in a film whose comic moments and frequent plot twists offer a brief respite in a waning but still ornery winter.”