C'era una volta Steve McQueen

Highly fictionalized account of an actual bank robbery that occurred in California, 1972. The main character (Harry Barber), one of the robbers, is a young man who sees himself cut from the same cloth as the actor, Steve McQueen. Despite often having a 'deer in headlights' look about him, Harry unfolds a detailed tale of the robbery some years later to his girlfriend, Molly. The main theme of the heist centers on stealing President Nixon's slush fund money that supposedly is hidden in a safety deposit box with the bank. FBI agents Lambert and Felt (of Nixonian fame as deep cover contact, Deep Throat) are hot on the trail of the heist crew. Both the love story and the heist are an enjoyable watch.

Finding Steve McQueen is a love story disguised as a bank robbery movie. This is a Baby Driver wannabe, without the great production, direction and dialogue. If you've never heard of Travis Fimmel before, well, this film won't leave a lasting impression of him with you either. Finding Steve McQueen has 24 Producers, so if the tempo or mood or anything else seems uneven-there you go. Everything starts out exciting as a bank heist film, but then it flips to a love story and by the 1 hour marks it's ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz. The soundtrack is fantastic, so this is the movie you play in the background while doing something else, like surfing the internet.

From the beginning, I wanted to dislike this movie. The lead just didn't strike me as very interesting to start. But like the simple plot and easy to digest acting, he gets better as the movie moves on. The ending was simple and endearing. Nah, it's not that amazing or groundbreaking in the least but it's fun and well paced.

Based upon true events, this movie mixes a bank heist, romance and being a fan of actor, Steve McQueen, into ultimately kind of a refreshing ride. There is an earnestness to this movie as well as humor -- I haven't genuinely laughed out loud at a movie in a long time. The soundtrack is spot on, also, and enhanced the movie. The only actor I recognized is Forest Whitaker, and he adds needed credibility in his depiction of a decent member of law enforcement.

I thought this was a delightful little film. I liked the structure and the way the story unfolds. Anyone who lived through Watergate will also appreciate the time. I loved that we had an appearance by Deep Throat in his official capacity as Deputy Director of the FBI. I also loved seeing Forrest Whitaker as the dogged FBI agent