Thieves

I was drawn to "Thieves" (1977) mainly because it was written by Herb Gardner, who also wrote "Who Is Harry Kellerman And Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?" (1971), a film I watched recently and found uncommonly inventive. "Thieves" shares some of the same characteristics - both of these films are a rare breed: American cinema of ideas. At its best, "Thieves" can stand up to comparison with any of Woody Allen's movies; like most of his, it is set and shot in Manhattan and captures the chaos and messiness of the city. There are some wonderful, even wise moments in this film, and Marlo Thomas is a gem. There is also one awful, atrociously over-acted character (the cab driver) who should have been cut out altogether. *** out of 4.