Thief of Hearts Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Thief of Hearts Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 9, 2022

Douglas Day Stewart's "Thief of Hearts" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Paramount Home Media Distribution. The only bonus feature on the disc is a vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Is it possible that the resumes of Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer might have looked drastically different had they produced one more film like Thief of Hearts? This is a very interesting question, so let’s do a bit of speculating.

A part of me is convinced that Beverly Hills Cop and Top Gun were meant to happen, so even if Simpson and Bruckheimer had become involved with another film like Thief of Hearts the progression of their careers would not have changed much. Bruckheimer in particular had a very specific vision of what a good film was supposed to look like which remained pretty consistent over the years, so for him the road forward should have remained the same. Simpson almost never disagreed with Bruckheimer and the two had a very strong bond, so it is fair to speculate that he would have been right there with him as well. Now, it is very possible that around the same time Days of Thunder and Bad Boys were released Simpson and Bruckheimer would have been involved with smaller films, but the latter would have ensured that the genre identity of these fictional films would have remained awfully similar.

But a part of me is also willing to speculate that the arrival of another similar but slightly less convincing film after Thief of Hearts could have produced some pretty unexpected ripple effects that would have seriously complicated the new business arrangement between Simpson, Bruckheimer and Paramount. (Thief of Hearts was the first of five films the duo’s production company was contracted to deliver to the major studio). I think that it is very possible that studio execs would have influenced Simpson and Bruckheimer’s future decisions and ultimately forced them to explore different projects. Again, Beverly Hills Cop and Top Gun still would have happened, but there would have been other safer films before them, and at least one film that materialized to meet very particular studio expectations.

What is the significance of these speculations?

Thief of Hearts was the directorial debut of Douglas Day Stewart, who just a couple of years earlier had scripted An Officer and a Gentleman, and was essentially a gamble -- a good one, but still a gamble. It wasn’t only because Stewart was given a spot behind the camera either. This film was Steven Bauer’s golden opportunity to convince that he could be a leading man. It even launched the career of composer Harold Faltermeyer, who consequently became involved with such blockbusters as Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, and Tango & Cash. So, what was the problem? The problem is that these types of gambles are usually shot in ways that provide them with personalities reflecting the type of risks that are being taken with them. (Believe it or not, this is even truer today because now they are supposed to meet even more specific socio-cultural expectations that determine the exact type of actors that can be involved with them). As a result, plenty of their content could look oddly polished or/and overstylized, too sanitized, and lacking imagination.

Thief of Hearts is very carefully polished and despite a few seconds of raunchy material extremely safe film. In fact, it is so safe that it is awfully easy to describe as a film that lacks imagination, too. Bauer plays a very handsome thief who regularly steals from posh homes in the wealthiest areas of San Francisco with the invaluable assistance of a coke-addicted partner (David Caruso). While pretending to be legit distributors of school supplies, the two thieves then exchange the loot for cash and dream of making enough to retire in style. But one day, while working hard, Bauer stumbles upon a personal diary that introduces him to an unhappy, possibly sexually repressed wife (Barbara Williams) who secretly dreams of falling in love with a man exactly like him -- or so Bauer concludes while reading the diary, which is why later on he decides to introduce himself to its owner and pursue a romantic relationship with her. The coke-addicted partner instantly recognizes the possible risks and does his best to break up the quickly evolving romantic relationship, but much to his surprise faces fierce resistance.

Stewart’s screenplay might have been, and probably was, very nicely written, but it did not produce an exciting film. Indeed, it connects all of the obvious dots in the most predictable of ways and then leaves it to the stars to make the process exciting. But excluding Bauer who looks really, really good and convinces that he could be a dangerous chameleon, the rest of the cast is instantly forgettable. In fact, Williams’ insecurity looks so overdone that neither her secret dreamer nor her terrified wife look believable, which makes it quite easy to speculate that she was not the right actress for the part.

The best compliment that can be given to Thief of Hearts is to say that it is a legit time capsule. The ‘80s are very much part of its identity, and it is almost entirely because of Andrew Laszlo’s stylish lensing.

Thief of Hearts Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Thief of Hearts arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Paramount Home Media Distribution.

The release is sourced from an older master that must have been prepared quite some time ago. This master is rather nice because it is if free of problematic digital tinkering, but you do not have to have a very large screen to instantly begin recognizing its limitations. For example, the surface of the visuals, where proper grain and grain exposure do some very beneficial things to make them appear organic, is pretty uneven, which was a common occurrence on masters from the DVD/telecine era. Predictably, delineation and clarity can fluctuate a bit as well, though for the most part the visuals remain pleasing. In darker areas shadow definition isn't optimal, but it isn't problematic either. (In the old days, this is how virtually all of these masters were done). Color balance is very nice. Only certain ranges of highlights produce small anomalies that trained eyes will quickly identify. Image stability is very good. Some minor dirt spots and blemishes can be seen, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, despite the limitations that are highlight above, this master still offers a mostly pleasing organic presentation of the film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Thief of Hearts Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I was not surprised that the lossless track turned out to be very good. I have an old R1 DVD release of Thief of Hearts and even on it the lossy audio was actually pretty solid, which tells me that in the old days the folks at Paramount must have optimized the audio as best as possible. To be honest, I don't think that clarity and sharpness can be any better. Dynamic intensity? Possibly, but the entire audio will have to be redone from scratch and then offered as one of those fancy Dolby Atmos tracks. But I am perfectly happy with the current 5.1 track.

Thief of Hearts Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - an original trailer for Thief of Hearts. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Thief of Hearts Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Steven Bauer looks very handsome in Douglas Day Stewart's directorial debut, Thief of Hearts, and this is the one and only reason I have always kept a copy of it in my library. It is too bad that Bauer did not have a better agent during the '80s because with the right parts he could have been one of the decade's most recognizable heartthrobs. The rest in Thief of Hearts does not appeal to me. I recognize the strength of Andrew Laszlo's stylish visuals, but virtually all of them are filler material that are needed to connect different parts of the predictable story and make the film look right. Paramount Home Media Distribution's Blu-ray release is sourced from an older but pretty decent organic master that was probably prepared during the DVD era. Should you upgrade if you already have the studio's DVD release of Thief of Hearts? Yes, I have it too, and I can confirm that the Blu-ray offers a small but still fairly decent upgrade in quality. RECOMMENDED, but only to the fans.