GRADE: B

This hip crime drama should have been a bigger hit—it has all the ingredients action fans crave, the narrative weight of a story-oriented vehicle, and the irreverent style and off-kilter performances that have become popular with modern audiences.

A fast-paced affair from writer-turned-director Scott Sanders, this debut effort, which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival, has the look of a skilled and seasoned filmmaker, with star Alec Baldwin delivering one of his best performances as a cool thief-for-hire who loves smooth jazz and dogs.

The clever and frequently funny screenplay by Sanders and Arthur Krystal, based on the novel by Patrick Quinn, starts out as a standard crime film. But in short order that formula morphs into a neatly layered handful of stories, each heading in its own direction until the inevitable convergence, which thankfully is achieved without the aid of some kooky contrivance needed to tie the tales together.

The main tale begins with the thief’s release from prison. A quick stop to collect some loot he stashed precedes a long-awaited reunion with his beloved dog and jazz record collection. But before he and the dog can get through listening to one of his prized albums (dogs, album covers and record collecting figure prominently into different aspects of the film, including the outstanding title sequence), an old Mafia friend makes him an offer he cannot refuse.

The offer involves the theft of food stamps from a Detroit warehouse, which sounds simple enough, except for the fact that neither the thief nor the Mafia knows the local African-American crime boss has other ideas.

It’s those ideas that send the story in all sorts of intriguing directions, making “Thick as Thieves” more than just another “Pulp Fiction” clone. Sure, there are some similarities, just as “Pulp Fiction” shares certain qualities with other films and genre efforts. That may prove “Thick as Thieves” is less than completely innovative, but that doesn't make it any less effective or enjoyable as entertainment.

Author’s note: The trailer below is an excerpt from an in-depth interview with Alec Baldwin at The Actor’s Studio.

#