Of the many bonus material from cult action "Thief" DVD, this one is the most interesting of the bunch thanks to an unseen (at least to me) mode of short film
of its kind: director Michael Mann appears along with the interviwer (Scott Foundas) rather than just being solo in the room just replying to what he's been asked and we you can
only get the point of view of the interviewed person. In this one, we have the unique distinction of seeing the reactions from Mann and the enthusiastic analyst of
"Thief". What goes from here, however, is more of the same: stories about the film's behind the scenes, its creation, what moved the director into the material, his
casting process - most things that you can check out on the movie's trivia section in this very place.
Mann strikes as an intelligent and cool guy without reservations, and one that feels genuine when remembering facts from his very first film experience in Hollywood, after "The Jericho Mile", a TV movie. And it's thanks to his memory and easy talk that this extra material feels good to watch, it doesn't reek of those typical praise, praise, praise thing actors and directors tend to do when sharing their experiences about the filmmaking process. Compared with the James Caan interview - the lead of "Thief" which only showcased him as your typical tough guy he plays on the screen with some minor bits humor on him, Mann takes the prize for his sincerity and openess with the interviewer, specially when talking about the creation of sequences in the film or Mann's contact/hiring real-life criminals who acted as technical advisers on how to open a safe, and they even have acting roles in the movie. They had a nice time together. 8/10
Mann strikes as an intelligent and cool guy without reservations, and one that feels genuine when remembering facts from his very first film experience in Hollywood, after "The Jericho Mile", a TV movie. And it's thanks to his memory and easy talk that this extra material feels good to watch, it doesn't reek of those typical praise, praise, praise thing actors and directors tend to do when sharing their experiences about the filmmaking process. Compared with the James Caan interview - the lead of "Thief" which only showcased him as your typical tough guy he plays on the screen with some minor bits humor on him, Mann takes the prize for his sincerity and openess with the interviewer, specially when talking about the creation of sequences in the film or Mann's contact/hiring real-life criminals who acted as technical advisers on how to open a safe, and they even have acting roles in the movie. They had a nice time together. 8/10
