This time on GenreList: The stakes couldn't be higher, and everything is on the line! Get ready to enjoy some ill-gotten gains as we plot and scheme our way into a heist!
Heist films (or caper films) are a sub-genre of crime fiction that focuses on convoluted plots, double dealing and high-stakes reward. While much of crime fiction takes a critical look at criminal life and culture, the heist sub-genre tends to portray its protagonists in a positive or even heroic light.
The Sting is a classic example of the genre, pitting dashing and daring protagonists against a greedy and self-absorbed mobster. Sporting Robert Redford and Paul Newman as clever con men, The Sting features impressive performances that lend urgency and meaning to the potentially lethal con the characters are running. Newman's Henry Gondorff is a grizzled veteran who seems to have seen it all: brilliant, moody and perpetually pickled in 100 proof. Redford's Johnny Hooker is an interesting mix of anger and youthful exuberance that plays well against the plotting, thundering Gondorff. A fast and fun mix of drama, comedy and action.
For a more modern and surreal take on the genre, look no further than 2010 blockbuster Inception. Beautifully plotted and realized by an ensemble cast that seems to get just the right amount of screen time, Inception has been called director Christopher Nolan's magnum opus. A film that is self-consciously about illusion, Nolan brings his exploration of dreams down to earth with deep, driven characters and slick urban scenery. Simultaneously monumental and ephemeral, Inception will ensnare you in a dream world you won't want to leave.
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