Review of The Thief Who Came to Dinner

Everything about this film--great performances, intelligent, sophisticated script, taut, well paced direction, and an awesome 70s jazz rock soundtrack that really sets the mysterious, suspenseful mood--works in a well put together whole with a wonderfully insightful, humanistic ending. This isn't a typical good guy "going bad" scenario as O'Neil's character remains thoughtful, intelligent and even relatively moral in stealing only from the rich and corrupt (Charles Coffi's character in particular) who deserve and can afford it. The scene where he introduces himself to Coffi, whom he's just robbed ("I've recently come into a lot of money, Gene, and some of it is yours"), is wonderfully sly and entertaining. This is echoed by one of the central relationships of the film between O'Neil's thief and the insurance adjuster played by one of the best character actors of all time, Warren Oates. The fact that they clearly grow to like and even respect each other very much, and that it is Oates' own company who eventually abandons him, suggests the question of which side is truly the right, or moral one: the decent, humane man who would never hurt anyone but is a thief, or the greedy, inhumane corporations who use employees and throw them away when no longer useful? It reminds me a lot of "Three Days of The Condor" wherein Robert Redford's honest, peaceful character is literally hunted by a corrupt CIA only wishing to throw away its dirty laundry. The final scene when Oates' character catches O'Neil's character in the act but lets him go is wonderfully played and shows this film's take on that question. This is an eminently enjoyable, attractive film well worth the effort to find it, and the time to view it.