Thieves Like Us Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Thieves Like Us Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 13, 2014

After his work on 1973’s “The Long Goodbye,” which took period material and glued it to a modern era, co-writer/director Robert Altman elected to remain in the past with 1974’s “Thieves Like Us.” An adaptation of Edward Anderson’s 1937 novel, the feature is a wholly convincing examination of fledgling bank robbers in the Deep South and the lives they struggle to maintain as law enforcement officials and the media step up their efforts to capture the men. Starring Keith Carradine, John Shuck, and Bert Remsen as the outlaws (Shelly Duvall, Louise Fletcher, and Ann Latham co-star), “Thieves Like Us” retains all the hallmarks of an Altman endeavor, including his commitment to authenticity, slowing the pace of the picture to a crawl as he inspects fragments of humanity found within these notorious monsters.

Despite a premise that offers copious amounts of bank robbing and a few jailbreaks, “Thieves Like Us” isn’t a rousing film. Altman steps on the brakes for this movie, hoping to acquire a grander understanding of personal headspace as the three criminals attempt to construct a life in secret, periodically breaking their domestic intent to build up their fortunes. Attention to character is outstanding, also retaining period language, sound (radio reports and shows form the “score”) and southern culture (Coca-Cola is the state beverage), permitting a full appreciation of the moment, where conflicted men struggle with their next move, getting lost in women and drink as time passes without incident. It’s easy to respect “Thieves Like Us.” It’s technically sound (with the exception of a few botched edits), nicely performed, and psychologically abyssal. There’s just no flow to the feature, no rolling sense escalation that fits snugly into its fiery conclusion. It almost plays in real time, and when scenes aren’t working or insist on repetition, the endeavor can feel like an eternity.

Thieves Like Us Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation sustains original cinematographic intent, delivering a muted, period-minded color palette with secure skintones. Fine detail is acceptable for a softly photographed effort, bringing out the best in close-ups (Duvall's alien features are a highlight in HD), and location particulars remain in view, offering secure distances. Grain is present with noisy qualities, and blacks provide decent delineation. Print includes a few rough patches and some speckling.

Thieves Like Us Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't have much heavy lifting, as most of the track is contained to silences and radio recordings. Dialogue exchanges do reveal limitation as passions erupt, hitting a few distortive extremes along the way. Radio "scoring" is clean and inviting, supporting the action as intended. Atmospherics are generally alert with small town life and rural passages. Violent eruptions, including gunshots, retain snap.

Thieves Like Us Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Robert Altman.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:59, SD) is included.

Thieves Like Us Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Like much of Altman's filmography, "Thieves Like Us" is best approached as movie to be studied, not necessarily enjoyed. It's glacial, punishingly so at times, but it offers much to a viewer willing to match its speed, taking a time machine ride back to an era of lawlessness and approaching change to the American way.