Product: Thieves Like Us (1974)
Rating: 3.0
Didn't Get It
I've seen my share of Robert Altman movies and I've liked quite a few. So, given his stature in the industry, I was surprised to come across this title. Either I'd not heard of it at all or it flew so low under the radar I simply forgot it existed. One way or the other I figured I should give it a gander.I liked it enough but I don't think it's quite the lost treasure others seem to think. It's just a middle effort by Altman.Set during the depression, the story follows the exploits of three escaped Mississippi prisoners who form a gang to rob banks. Four of the main actors, Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, Tom Skerritt and John Shuck have all appeared in other Altman projects, and all do a fine job here. The problem, as I see it, is there is neither a story ark or character arc here. You merely follow these guys through their moving from place to place as they hold up banks. Yes, the Carradine character meets and finds a liking for the Duvall character which lends a note of sadness at the end of the film, but he doesn't change. He's a likable guy at the beginning of the movie and just as likable at the end.In typical Altman fashion it's acted well, directed well and has a good music score. They get the period details down cold so you get a good feel for time and place. For me the problem was at the script level. I liked these characters with all their quirks and eccentricities, but at the end of things all I could think of was "so what." This isn't a bad film by any means. It's very watchable. Just don't expect it to change your life.