''Little Thieves, Big Thieves'' () is a

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

gangster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''Organized crime, mob'' and the suffix ''wikt:-ster, -st ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Alejandro Saderman. The film premiered at the

1998 Toronto International Film Festival The 23rd Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 10 to September 19, 1998. A total of 311 films were screened during the ten-day festival, commencing with the opening gala, ''The Red Violin''. Awards Programmes Gala Opening Ni ...

and went on to screen at the 1999

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

Plot

On Christmas Eve amidst a nationwide financial scandal, adman Horacio hatches a plan to rob the Pan-American Bank with his old childhood buddies Valmore, Rogelio, and Vicente, who are all in dire straits money-wise. The men pose as officials and arrive at the bank just after the new year, only to discover the bank’s president has already transferred the bail-out money to offshore accounts, and that suspect accountant Pujol has gotten there ahead of them. The gang mistakes a visiting commercial shoot for TV news cameras, prompting the police to surround the building and leading to a standoff.

Cast

Critical reception

Eddie Cockrell of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote, "Well-written, often humorous pic knows it strolls close to American action genres and runs with that, riffing on themes from '

Ocean's Eleven ''Ocean's Eleven'' is a 2001 heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Ted Griffin. A remake of the 1960 film of the same name, it serves as the first installment in the ''Ocean's'' franchise. The film features an ense ...

,' '

Die Hard ''Die Hard'' is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart (writer), Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza, based on the 1979 novel ''Nothing Lasts Forever (Thorp novel), Nothing Lasts Forever'' by Roderick ...

,' ' Mad City' and others. There’s even specific mention of '

Dog Day Afternoon ''Dog Day Afternoon'' is a 1975 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick and Charles Durning. The screenplay ...

,' including an updated spin on one of that film’s key subplots. Ancillary characters are well drawn, and each has a chance for a moment in the spotlight when the standoff takes on a party atmosphere (“The best kidnapping of my life,” claims one)." Comparatively, Ted Shen of the ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...

'' wrote, "Saderman alternates hapless burglar comedy (''

The Lavender Hill Mob ''The Lavender Hill Mob'' is a 1951 British comedy film from Ealing Studios, written by T. E. B. Clarke, directed by Charles Crichton, starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway and featuring Sid James and Alfie Bass. The title refers ...

'') with tense hostage drama (''Dog Day Afternoon'') but fails to find the right balance: after a while the bumbling exploits of his Robin Hoods and the cute send-ups of media feeding frenzy dull the film’s social criticism."

References

External links

* * Venezuelan comedy films 1998 films 1998 black comedy films 1998 crime comedy films 1990s heist films 1990s political satire films Films about hostage taking Films about bank robbery 1990s Spanish-language films Venezuelan crime films {{1990s-comedy-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Critical reception

See also

References

External links