Speed, Showdown between Bank Robbers and Corrupt Policeman

`Steal,` a movie directed by Gerard Pires who is known for his first work `Taxi,` is a movie filled with speedy actions.

Centering on a team of four bank robbers, this movie delivers spectacular speedy scenes of roller blade, car racing and skydiving.

Slim, Frank, Ottis and Alex have a dream of robbing a bank big. Detective Jake McGruder, having watched them carefully for some time, now threatens them to join his plan to hit a bank.

“I am still a speed maniac,” said the 60-year-old French director who has made some 200 commercial films for such big-name sports cars as Peugeot, Saab, Citroen and Volvo.

His new movie `Steal,` which is visually dynamic, falls flat when it comes to a storyline. Conflict between Jake and four young criminals is not tense enough.

The character of female detective Karen, who is after the men, is reduced to such a trivial part that it would have been better doing without the role. The lovemaking scene between Karen and Slim is also nothing but an eye-catching prop.

Starring Steven Dorf, Natasha Henstridge, Bruce Pein. for age fifteen or above, opening on Nov. 22.

Soo-Kyung Kim skkim@donga.com