# Best caper films **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115 "2010-08-23T00:25:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/21 "2010-08-23T08:51:26Z")
Rat Race? It was a funny movie, but I don’t remember any sort of heist in it. The modern Ocean’s 11 was the first thing that popped into my head. The Pierce Brosnan version of The Thomas Crowne Affair was pretty good to, though I guess one could argue its not a real heist film since there’s just one thief, rather then an ensemble. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/22 "2010-08-23T12:22:38Z")
Heat ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/23 "2010-08-23T12:30:20Z")
I liked the original _Fun with Dick and Jane_ and the Goldie Hawn _The Heist_. The utterly brilliant _Mesrine, Killer Instinct_ and its sequel may qualify - many heists, some comedic moments, though ultimately rather disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/24 "2010-08-23T12:40:11Z")
I’m sorry **The Flim-Flam Man** didn’t make the cut, although it was a series of small capers instead of one big one. I’m especially sorry that Sue Lyon didn’t have more of a career; her hotness could have melted steel. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/25 "2010-08-23T12:52:54Z")
The Good Thief – (a 2002 film with Nick Nolte, apparently a remake of 1 1955 film I didn’t see) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/26 "2010-08-23T12:59:37Z")
I have fond memories of _Topkapi_, although I haven’t seen it in decades. I also like _Hudson Hawk_, but I’m just weird that way. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/27 "2010-08-23T14:58:16Z")
[The Bank Job](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200465/) is pretty much the textbook example of a caper film. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/28 "2010-08-23T15:05:18Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > I didn’t read the list, but “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” should be in any mention of best caper films of all time. Why? There is absolutely nothing caper-ish about it. Just because a movie has a ton of money in it doesn’t make it a caper. Gotta go with the grandfather of caper films: _ **Rififi** _ ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/29 "2010-08-23T20:53:31Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > > [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > > > I didn’t read the list, but “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” should be in any mention of best caper films of all time. > > Why? There is absolutely nothing caper-ish about it. Just because a movie has a ton of money in it doesn’t make it a caper. You shouldn’t post about a subject that you clearly know nothing about. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/30 "2010-08-23T21:36:30Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Rat Race? It was a funny movie, but I don’t remember any sort of heist in it. This isn’t a thread about heist films. I figured if It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World could be mentioned, considering Rat Race was a near-remake, it could be mentioned too. I’ve always thought it was a “caper” film, maybe I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/31 "2010-08-23T21:40:35Z")
> [@multimediac17](#): > > This isn’t a thread about heist films. You might want to re-read the OP, as well as click on his list link. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/32 "2010-08-23T22:05:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > According to Wiki, a ‘caper film’ is like a [heist film](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heist_film), but with comedic elements. Let’s include both ‘caper films’ and ‘heist films’ here. I remember someone around here coining the phrase “getting-shit-to-work films”; those movies where the story involves solving some intricate technical problem. Heist films are kind of a sub-category of that. The wikipedia link includes a link to another sub-category, prison-break films. There’s no actual page there, yet, which is a pity. There have been some good ones. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/33 "2010-08-23T22:16:32Z")
_The Score_ was pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/34 "2010-08-23T22:29:46Z")
How about _Dirty Rotten Scoundrels_? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/35 "2010-08-23T22:34:03Z")
I’d have to go with [_Diner,_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diner_%28film%29) because I think I might have seen some capers on one of the bagels. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/36 "2010-08-23T22:35:07Z")
The Killing ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/37 "2010-08-23T22:50:10Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > And I’ll say it - the modern _Ocean’s Eleven_. Could watch it every day. I’m right there with you. It’s a complete blast to watch, start to finish. I just recently watched _Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels_ for the first time. I don’t know if it qualifies as a _caper_ film, as such, but hijinks were definitely ensuing. _Snatch_ is next in my queue. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/38 "2010-08-23T23:16:44Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Rat Race? It was a funny movie, but I don’t remember any sort of heist in it. But if _Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World_ is in, this should be. An homage, though not really a remake. Tell you what: I’m printing this thread out and taking it to the library (uhh… I mean my Netflix queue, yeah, that’s it), and getting as many of these films as I can. So watch Rat Race, and when you’re finally done laughing at Rowan Atkinson and John Cleese and Cuba Gooding’s best role (and Kathy Bates as The Squirrel Lady!), see if you think it’s a heist. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/39 "2010-08-23T23:20:57Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > > [@multimediac17](#): > > > > This isn’t a thread about heist films. > > You might want to re-read the OP, as well as click on his list link. The OP says let’s include caper films and heist films. I should have said “This isn’t a thread exclusively about heist films”. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115/40 "2010-08-24T00:05:59Z")
> [@digs](#): > > > [@Simplicio](#): > > > > Rat Race? It was a funny movie, but I don’t remember any sort of heist in it. > > But if _Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World_ is in, this should be. An homage, though not really a remake. > > Tell you what: I’m printing this thread out and taking it to the library (uhh… I mean my Netflix queue, yeah, that’s it), and getting as many of these films as I can. > > So watch Rat Race, and when you’re finally done laughing at Rowan Atkinson and John Cleese and Cuba Gooding’s best role (and Kathy Bates as The Squirrel Lady!), see if you think it’s a heist. I should have said, **"see if it’s a caper**". As I “rewatch” it in my head (Halfway through…ha, very witty…ooh, damn that one glitchy spot on the DVD!) I’m thinking, “Not a heist, but indeed a caper”… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-caper-films/551115.md?page=3)