By Guy Wheatley
The Texarkana Gazette

Heist is yet another movie about one last big job. Written and directed by Pulitzer Prize winner and Oscar nominee David Mamet, the movie tries desperately to say too much about too little too quickly.
The opening scene is a not particularly exciting, and completely unnecessary explanation of why Joe Moore (Gene Hackman) is about to leave his life of crime. Joe is burned when he is caught on security videotape. After subjecting the audience to this set-up sequence, the film changes its mind and decides that maybe the reason Joe is quitting is just because he is getting old.
This constant changing of direction, tied to too many plot twists, keeps the audience lost and prevents viewers from connecting with any of the characters enough to care about their problems. We're never sure if any of the characters have redeeming qualities. The only constant in the film is the animosity between Bergman (Danny Diveto) and Joe.
Bergman, Joe's fence, tries to force him to take on the big job by reneging payment on the last job Joe did for him. We know from the first few minutes of the movie that Joe is plotting revenge on Bergman. The film wastes a lot of time trying to surprise us with this rather obvious point.
Joe's young wife (Rebecca Pidgeon) and Bergman's lieutenant (Sam Rockwell) become sparing tools between them. Her love and loyalty will be tested. Unfortunately, the many plot twists and multiple feigned betrayals make her position so vague that we are never able to sympathize with her.
The relation ship between Joe and his crew, Bobby Blane (Delroy Lindo) and Pinky Pincus (Ricky Jay) suffers a similar fate. They start out following Joe's instructions just as we feel they always have. But as the job starts going bad, Bobby's reluctance finds greater voice. At one point, Bobby storms out abandoning Joe and the job. After he leaves, we are lead to believe that he was tricked into quitting by Joe who is presumably protecting his crew from a mission that is too dangerous. Soon Joe decides, for reasons that are never adequately explained, that the job is on again. Bobby comes back to the team without any apparent reason as to why he is again willing to follow Joe.
There are several distracting subplots, including plans to sell Joe's boat, that appear to have nothing to do with the central premise of the movie. In a film that is already too difficult to follow, these are fatal distractions.
There are so many surprises in the movie that we stop being surprised. When the film ends, we feel less that we have made our way to a conclusion than that the director simply got tired and quit at the next convenient point.
The performances turned by Gene Hackman, Danny Diveto, and Delroy Lindo are far superior to the movie. Unfortunately it is not enough to salvage the work.
Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Pidgeon, and Ricky Jay also turn in adequate performances. Once again, the ricocheting story line prevents them from any significant character development.
 The film never seems to be able to decide exactly which moral conflict it wants to explore. Judicious, even ruthless editing might have saved this film. As is, those needing a Gene Hackman fix should wait until later this month when his next film, "Behind Enemy Lines," comes out.

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