The Big Heist

While fans of Goodfellas might tune into this schlock on Cable TV thinking there would be more about the 1978 Lufthansa heist that was so important in that film, they will be sadly disappointed. Jimmy Burke was not a "small-time hood", he was simply not Italian and could never be "made" (neither could Henry Hill) so was merely "associated" with the Mafia. While the real names of the participants are used as opposed to Goodfellas (Burke instead of Conway etc.) this movie is just too distorted from the true story. Donald Sutherland gives a fine performance in a lame effort but why the Irish accent? How did Burke's son enter into the caper?

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** The true story of the big heist in the 1970s at JFK airport is really a fascinating story. It's almost a Shakespearan tragedy about a newly released mobster Jim Burke played sympathetically by DOnald Sutherland who with his pals plan the big heist. Expecting only about half a million dollars, they steal about 8 million dollars in an elaborate well-plotted scheme. Jim Burke is no Castellano or John Gotti, he truly loves his men like family. They are on the bottom of the New York Mafia hierarchy. When they get the money, Jim hides it until everything is ready to release and cut for everybody. But when one of his own men mess up, he had to get killed. But the killing does not stop. The situation only gets worse for him. Soon, all of his own men are killed and he is all alone. Somehow the money does not matter anymore to him. He was placed in a difficult position by New York's mob leaders who threatened his own son's life. Unfortunately, he would die while Jim returns to prison for a minor crime in comparison to the big heist. You almost feel sorry for Jim Burke who did not have the heart to kill his own men to save his son's life. While the big heist was the big thrill in itself, it slowly became a living nightmare for Jimmy Burke.

"The Big Heist" is a small time flick about a small time mob boss (Sutherland) and his crew. Whether this tv film for A&E was based on a true story is irrelevant. It isn't gonna get any better than a low budget schlock flick either way. This marginally interesting story, which can't be taken seriously, wanders between comedy and drama as it fiddles around with boring details then sprints to its anticlimactic conclusion before running out of gas. Mediocre fodder for sofa spuds into mob stories. (C)

Donald sutherland, john heard in a caper film. Jimmy just got kicked out of the big house, and when a sure thing goes wrong, they need to come up with money quick. So they hatch a plan to pull a job at the aiport. With a copper sniffing up his tailpipe every step of the way. According to the narrator, its 1978. Lots of disco music. When they pull the job, it's so much more money than they planned on, now the mob is after them too. As expected, cracks start to appear in this foundation. Although i'm not sure why it's a local cops turf..... a money heist, pulled at an international airport would totally be FBI territory. And sutherland's accent keeps changing. It's mostly good. A whole lot of people getting knocked off. One of the coppers even says ten little indians, referring to a. Christie. Based on the book by ernest volkman and john cummings directed by bob markowitz.

This is a heist and gangster comedy about stupid gang of criminals. The film is Based upon the book "The heist" by Ernest Volkman and John Cummings, and has a good cast, topped by David Sutherland. The film is based on some of the years of the real James "Jimmy" Burke's life, also called "The Irishman".

It's a true story, but still I think this resembles other heist comedies like "Lockout, stock and two smoking barrels" and such, but doesn't have the budget nor the roughness, but still it's is more funny and smart where it lacks the other qualities.

Still it's really not functioning that well, and it's a bit strange why. It's difficult to point out why this isn't a hidden gem, but just another heist movie. With such a cast - and the acting is fine as well - it's almost a riddle, because the film fails to entertain the way it really should. It's probably down to the script. Maybe it's because the film fails at being a comedy? It starts off like a real comedy, but it fails on being funny after that. It's merely filled with stupid men, of which many does mistakes. And that's not enough. Quite interesting, though, since it's telling a true story.

It also uses music in an extremely annoying way. Good tunes, not really that suitable, rather misplaced and mixed too loud in the mix. Amateurish, and it adds to the film not being a big success.

It comes out mediocre, and more or less only for the fans of the genre, though it should have been at least a cult classic. It wants to be smart, but comes out quite ordinary.

If you really want to watch a smart hues movie, go watch "The bank job".