Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Armand amusing, nice cloth for crazy dreams, fresh and seductive. not a great movie and not part of cinema about thieves elite but very useful for relaxation. because all seems be clever and not very serious. because it is a comedy who use carefully the tension. and Ryan O Neal is really adorable. a film who reminds a lot of others from its period. but who has the science to be original in a nuanced manner. its basic trick - the innocence of a character who discovers in his hobby a form of life exploration. a charming movie. that is all. maybe silly, maybe unrealistic. but useful after a hard work day and as antidote against the blockbusters intoxication.

Marco Trevisiol Considering that its been close to forgotten, TTWCTD was a pleasant and substantial surprise when I watched it a few years ago.This is far from a perfect film as it has several flaws. While the caper scenes involving central character Webster McGee's (Ryan O'Neal) are entertaining enough they're hardly groundbreaking and have been done better in other films. And as another reviewer said, the film probably could've done without the segment involving the arrogant chess expert Zukovsky (played by Austin Pendelton). While not without humour, in the context of the rest of the film it's played too broadly by Pendelton and doesn't really fit in.But there is much of interest in this film that make it well worth catching up with. The central romance between O'Neal and wealthy socialite Jackie (who gives him his chance to move into the upper echelons of society) played by Jacqueline Bisset isn't really that convincing, perhaps deliberately so. McGee's attraction to the vacuous and cold Laura only makes sense in the context of Jill Clayburgh's performance as McGee's ex-wife Jackie. In her brief on-screen time, Jackie comes across as a far more likable persona then the cold and chilly Laura (doubtless this is also because Bisset has always come across as a cold and unlikable personality for mine). But we can see in Jackie's one scene with Webster that she has tics and neuroses that remind Webster of his past and he has moved on with someone far more frivolous and insubstantial.But the really fascinating part of the film is the relationship between McGee and the insurance investigator Dave Riley. If this film were made today, Riley would most likely be portrayed as a harried, bumbling 'loser' with McGee (and the filmmakers) regularly mocking his failure to catch him at every turn.But TTWCTD does something highly unusual and daring. It has McGee display immense sympathy and empathy for Riley even as he's doing his best to catch him. Why? Because he knows that he was just like him previously - someone stuck in a dead-end job trying to do their best but feeling immensely dissatisfied about their life and feeling helpless to do anything about it.It's this relationship which is the real strength of the film, helped especially by Oates' marvellous performance as Riley and helps it stay in the memory long after one has finished watching it.And while it has its detractors, I also found Henry Mancini's music score very pleasing on the ear.

slm1867 A movie I finally got to see the whole way thru. Warren Oates made this flick. VERY 70s but still lots of fun. Slow and sappy at times but fun to watch to identify all the actors and try to place them in other flicks they've done. Great cast and just plain fun. Did I mention fun?

dexter-3 I've seen this film twice, and I like it quite a bit. It's possibly the best performance O'Neal has given, Oates does a nice turn, and it has Jackie Bisset. The plot is okay, but the performances really give this film its punch. "Thief..." may not be for everyone, but it's worth a shot. The film may seem a bit dated and slow, so viewer beware.