Remeber when you were a little kid, and the teacher asked what you wanted to be when you grow up? Everyone always says doctor, fireman, ninja, or something like that. Not me. When I was five years old, I was asked that question. With no hesitation, I responded, “I want to be an art thief.” That desire still burns within me, so I have been endlessly fascinated with the antics of the Pink Panthers.
For those of you who don’t follow real-life heist movies so closely, the Pink Panthers are a group of European jewel thieves who have managed a few amazing heists and stolen a whole bunch of stuff. In fact, they are close to having stolen one billion dollars worth of diamonds and other precious gems. With that prior infatuation in place, I have been eagerly awaiting Havana Marking’s upcoming documentary Smash and Grab. Apparently Danny Boyle’s already seen it, and he’s excited too. I can say that because he’s already making moves to create a narrative adaptation.
Boyle’s frenetic yet controlled style of filmmaking seems like the perfect visual technique to convey the stunning efficiency and speed with which the Panthers pull of their heists. Thirty million dollars in diamonds in three minutes! That’s very high level theft. It’s the kind of larceny that you just don’t hear about anymore. I’m not advocating large scale thievery, but I am saying that it’s really really cool when it does happen.
I know that they are tied to all sorts of violent crime through their sales, and I think that is very bad. Smash and Grab does get into that aspect and surely Boyle’s film will too. There’s a lot interesting stuff here. I think Danny Boyle is going to turn this story into something great. I cannot wait to see the result. Is there any director better suited to this? Are there any modern criminals this cool? Should I stop glorifying crime so much? Catch me in the comments . . . If you can!
[fresh_video url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szIwZ7JQRhk”]
Source: Slash Film
