Monday Movie Meme - Stolen Goods

A few weeks ago, we covered all the great prison movies. This week on the Monday Movie Meme, the Bumbles have asked us about our favorite movies that cover the other side of the coin...the heists and caper flicks that have you rooting for the bad guys. This one took a bit of thinking for me, but once I started unearthing them, I found a gold mine!

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox - the biggest mistake you can make would be to discount this movie as something for the kiddies. Yes, kids will love the film, but there is so much cleverness and wit here you will lose yourself in it and will want to watch it multiple times. Although Mr. Fox is attempting to live a clean life, he cannot deny his instincts, and begins to steal chickens from the ruthless, big-money neighboring farms. It takes a whole village of varmints to get Mr. Fox out of hot water. Good for more than a few belly laughs.

2. Dog Day Afternoon - I am cheating because the Bumbles listed this one, but I'm not physically capable of leaving this movie off the list. There is something so endearing about a young Al Pacino robbing a bank in order to raise money for his boyfriend's sex change. This is some of Al's best work I think.

3. Sexy Beast - Not sure if I have ever had the opportunity to talk about this movie before, but it resides in the permanent Nawrot collection and is pulled out at least annually. A retired mobster is convinced to perform "one last job" by a particularly violent and sadistic Ben Kingsley, and it all goes to hell really really fast. Sound unrealistic to root for a miscreant to rip off a major bank in London? Believe it or not, but this guy is actually the best of the bunch, and you really just hope he can get out of this alive. The film is deliciously dark and disturbing...guaranteed to reside in your subconscious for a few days after you've watched it.

4. Run Lola Run - you will need a seatbelt to watch this one. It is fast and crazy and fun. Lola is required to raise a large sum of money in a short amount of time in order to save her boyfriend from a nasty fate. The twist is that the film explores the role of fate and all the "what ifs" depending on the decisions that she makes. You will be rooting for Lola to succeed, despite the fact that her boyfriend is an idiot. You'll also love her red hair!

5. Reservoir Dogs - A diamond heist and a loaded cast of characters? What's not to love? I can't guarantee that you will wish any of these guys well...they are all pretty loathsome. What I can guarantee is that you will never be able to listen to Steeler's Wheel "Stuck in the Middle With You" and not think of one of the most violent scenes I've ever witnessed on screen. It is something you have to watch at least once.


I know you guys have some good ones for this category. What are your favorites?