To Steal from a Thief (2016) Poster

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6/10
A Spanish crime-thriller with political undertones
Red-Barracuda20 June 2016
An armed robbery of a bank goes badly wrong on a rainy day in Valencia. The fallout ends up revealing high level political corruption.

This Spanish crime-thriller is one which twists its genre framework around the all too real Spanish economic recession, in which many people are still suffering. As such, it has a few political points to make while delivering a muscular crime story. It possibly is a little too dialogue heavy for its own good at times and consequently it does lose a bit of momentum as it goes forward but its overall a pretty solid bit of genre film-making with a conscience. It features an animated Rodrigo De la Serna (The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)) in the role of the lead thief, The Uruguayan.
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7/10
Decent hold-up thriller filled with surprises , sneaky twists , and being efficiently realized
ma-cortes14 November 2017
Daniel Calparsoro's last one (2016) results to be ¨100 Años De Perdón¨ with all-star-cast as Luis Tosar , Jose Coronado , Raul Arevalo and his wife Patricia Vico . A Spanish crime film called To Steal from a Thief (originally Cien Años De Perdón in Spain) about six armed men in disguise try to steal a bank , but they're really after the contents of safety deposit box 314 , which actually doesn't contain what they think it does . Moving heist thriller filled with intense set-pieces , nail-biting action and swiftly paced . This exciting movie contains thrills , noisy action , intrigue and spectacular final . In Valencia takes place a bank robbing , it is carried out by a bunch of cunning delinquents led by three thieves called El Uruguayo (Rodrigo Serna) , Gallego (Luis Tosar) and Loco (Furrier) , all of them stalk a bank in a metropolis city , Valencia , to rob as many safety boxes as possible and later flee through a dug tunnel that communicates the building with an abandoned subway station . The takers must scramble a lot of twisted incidents , risks , dangers and violence . However, the press officer of the Prime Minister discovers what the thieves are actually after : they want to get their hands on box 314 that has dark secrets . The safe box contains an information that it would to be shake a country . At the same time , the CNI agents attempt to take the information before the robbers escape with it . The bad's schemes begin to go awry , plus to discover that the box really doesn't have documents , but an external hard drive full of data about important names in all levels of the Spanish politicians . They try to rise above their circumstances by any means available to them . Not only that, but the government wants to stop them and the rainwater floods their getaway route .

This is a thrilling narration of an exciting bank assault with exceptionally fine camera work , attractive sequences , moving escapes and ending crashes . The title of the movie is a reference about a popular Spanish proverb: ¨Those who steals a thief, will have a hundred years of pardon¨. The picture mingles action-packed , drama , exciting underwater scenes , suspense , and spectacular sequences though won't mean much on little screen TV . This is a tricky little thriller about a coordinated bank robbery that gets worse when the tunnel is flooded by heavy rain , leaving them with no fleeing . This hold-up film is covered by political incidents as well as corruption , as the safe box results to be ownership of Gonzalo Soriano , a previous member of the government who slipped into a coma after a severe accident and left documents with compromising information . Stirring movie results to be a nice yarn well set in a rainy big city , Valencia . In fact , filmmaker Daniel Calparsoro dedicated this movie to ¨Valencia¨ . Pulse-quickening thriller movie but plenty of clichés and lots of violence , including punches , slaps , heavy blows , kick-asses and bloody shooting . The peculiar as well as tight-knit trio , Luis Tosar , Rodrigo De la Serna and Raúl Arévalo are the real stars of this movie . Other chief excitements about the picture , will be in the intervention of a good plethora of Spanish/Argentinean actors who realize professionally competent interpretations such as : Patricia Vico , Joaquín Furriel , Marian Álvarez , Luis Callejo , Miquel Fernández , Joaquin Climent , María Molins and Alfredo Villa , Calparsoro's fetish actor. Special mention for José Coronado as a fixer of the government receives the mission to assume the control of the negotiations, looking for recover at any cost the box .

Colorful and appropriate cinematography by Joseph M. Civit , being well set on a rainy morning in Valencia , and shot in Canary Islands , Buenos Aires , Valencia by cameraman Josep M. Civit who is one of the best Spanish cameramen , as he has demonstrated in "The Hidden Face" , ¨Shiver¨, ¨Warriors¨ , ¨The Absent" ,¨Anguish¨ and many others . Stimulating as well as pulsating musical score by Nacho Mastretta and Najwajean-Najwa Nimri . This is another superbly powerful thriller movie being compellingly directed Daniel Calparsoro , the filmmaking is competent though the story eventually run out of gas . It was well realized by Calparsoro in similar vein to his precedent film as ¨Invasor¨ , a splendid thriller mostly set in Irak war . His best film was ¨Warriors¨ or ¨Guerreros¨ , another warlike film brilliantly made by Daniel and dealing with ¨Kosovo¨ war . Daniel was raised in Donostia , that's why most films are set in Basque country . Daniel uses to work with his spouses , as his first wife , Najawa Nimri composes his scores and played in ¨Salto a Vacio¨ , ¨Pasajes¨ , ¨Asfalto¨ , ¨A Ciegas¨ ; and his second one , Patricia Vico , performed in ¨La Ira¨ and this one . Calparsoro is an expert on action and violent dramas , such as : 2013 ¨Combustion¨ starred by Alex Gonzalez and Alberto Amman , 2012 ¨Invasor¨ also starred by Albert Ammann , 2005 ¨Ausentes¨ , 2000 ¨Asfalto¨ , 1997 ¨A Ciegas¨ , 1996 ¨Pasajes¨ , 1995 ¨Salto a Vacío¨ . Furthermore , he has realized TV series and episodes , such as ¨Inocentes¨, ¨Apaches¨ , ¨La Ira¨, ¨El Castigo¨. This flick ¨100 Años De Perdon¨ will appeal to adrenaline lovers and those young people looking for strong emotions . This is the kind of film in which the thriller enthusiasts will enjoy immensely , it's a must see .
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7/10
A good film that will probably go unnoticed
cornesnaish15 March 2016
I was excited to see the film because of Tosar in one of the main roles. Wasn't disappointed. Even when he isn't the main pivot point of the story (in this case, it was Rodrigo De la Serna), he manages to give an outstanding performance.

Onto the film though: I thought it was a solid, fast-paced drama flick with a hint of action and some occasional comedic touches, but don't get me wrong - it's thrilling right to the very end. My criticism with it is that I can divide the film into three sections: fast, slow, and fast. The middle part felt a little out of place, with excessive dialogue.

Nonetheless, the acting was superb from the main characters, the photography and color schemes were on point, the dialogue was quick and snappy, without clichés, and the lead roles are very well thought and portrayed. Magnificent acting by Rodrigo De la Serna and Luis Tosar. Solid 7.5 out of 10.
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7/10
This seems to be the initial title before "Money Heist"
alexizvely11 May 2021
Just accidentally found this movie while aimlessly browsing the TV guide and decided to give it a chance. It seems this movie is the initial "Money Heist".

Bank robing - both Nicknames as countries - both There are more similarities but essentially "Money Heist" is better as it has more time to evolve the complex story and a lot of improvements have been made. Still, if you need something similar to "Money Heist" while waiting for next season - this should quench your thirst for a bit.
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6/10
Interesting
OMTR13 August 2019
"Who steals from whom?" is the excellent question of that film, which is very good in its first half, before running out of steam.
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6/10
First half is 8/10. Second half is 4/10
rudygerst30 January 2021
I liked the first half. Acting, cinematography, tension...etc. Then, around the half point, the movie becomes filled with too many characters and dialogue, and totally lost the rhythm.

What a pity...
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7/10
Patience in Heist
kosmasp6 May 2017
Sometimes things do not go according to plan. In movies more often then not. Now if you're about to commit a crime, then movies may be one of the venues where there is a chance of you succeeding. Then again, because it's all scripted, you don't actually achieved anything. Well anything else than entertain your audience right? Which is not an easy thing to do. But this movie also tries to go one more step and add an additional note to the mix.

Maybe that is not your thing and you want just a heist movie. But hopefully you'll enjoy it, even with its flaws. It's nicely acted and while not perfect, it does achieve to keep your suspense high enough until the end of the movie. The action scenes are good too
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5/10
Tosar and De la Serna's 'Bank Job'! [+52%]
arungeorge136 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The premise sounds awfully to similar 2008's Roger Donaldson - Jason Statham flick 'The Bank Job'. A heist at a bank. Safe deposit boxes are targeted. A political conspiracy is involved. But the thriller works better when it sticks to the perspectives of the (rather small-time) perpetrators led by Uruguayan (Rodrigo de la Serna) and Gallego (Luis Tosar), than the Spanish secret-service or the Press office of the Prime Minister.

I'd say that the director Daniel Calparsoro struggles to maintain the tempo during the latter portions of the film, largely due to the introduction of too many characters (in the form of negotiators, PRs and the like, not adding a great deal to the central plot). As a result, the movie engages when the ever-reliable Tosar and fiery De La Serna take center-stage. The problems never seem to cease for the burglars: the weather is giving them a hard-time plotting their escape; the negotiators are mercurial, their plans keep changing with the advance of time and there's an "idiot" (in the form of Loco) in the group, persistently screwing things up.

There are quite a few factors worthy of applause - like the way Tosar's character finds a soft-corner for the good-looking manager, how they manage to hold themselves together in spite of various instances of mismanagement, the treatment of Loco's character (who's having the hots for a lady employee at the bank, to the point of gifting her some of the spoils from their burglary), the exciting phone conversations and face-offs between Uruguayan(& Gallego) and the negotiators.

Yet, the grand finale looks stretched and overstuffed with too many angles taken into account. The characters who represent the secret- service and the Press office unfortunately do not carry a sense of urgency and always come up short whenever they share screen-space with De La Serna and Tosar. As such, the climax is not one that awes. While I'd hoped for an intrinsic fall-out to occur within the gang, the director only teased hints and shoved the idea soon after. The twists required to make a film such as this pulpier, are lacking (especially towards the climax portions).

Verdict: Worth seeing for Tosar and De la Serna!
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8/10
A good movie with excellent actors
kaitana20 April 2016
I went to the cinema to watch this movie as soon as I knew that Luis Tosar was in it, since he is hands down the best Spanish actor these days. My expectations were not too high about the movie itself, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a good thriller with a hint of comedy. Actually, the acting in this film is so good that the comedy moments fit naturally, without being too artificial nor relying on corny jokes. The actors are so natural and the script is so well written, that in some scenes you just need to laugh out loud.

About the actors, Luis Tosar is great as always, but Rodrigo De la Serna is absolutely superb. He nails every scene he's in. I hope to see much more of him in the near future, since for me, both actors are the main reason why I liked this film so much. It is so easy to empathize with these two bank robbers. Joaquin Furriel also stands out, giving a brilliant performance. The rest of the cast was very good in general, with the only exception of the female lead. In my opinion, her acting was mediocre at best; I would have loved to see Marian Alvarez doing her part instead. But that is basically the only flaw in the casting, in my opinion.

As to the plot, I found it very solid (I was not specifically looking for plot holes; there might be some, but they go unnoticed). The movie is thrilling, and it's entertaining.

Will I watch this movie again? Absolutely.
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3/10
Stupid thieves
tenshi_ippikiookami9 March 2017
In Spain, there is the belief that corruption is an everyday occurrence (not only there, of course). "Cien años de perdón" uses this as the MacGuffin in a heist movie that starts OK but ends making no sense and with too many stupid twists.

Six thieves get into a bank in Valencia, in the East of Spain, and take 30 people as hostages. Pretty soon we discover that money or jewels are not the reason behind the heist, but a hard-drive with information about some high-ranking politicians. The police, the politicians, the thieves, the director of the bank... all their interests will intertwine while the tensions rise.

The idea is simple, and it could have been a good action/mystery movie. However, the plot twists are risible, the pace too slow and shaky, and the direction lifeless, wasting a good bunch of actors along the way, like the always reliable Luis Tosar. The characters keep lying to each other for no reason, but not only so, they keep taking silly decisions based on whims, and the moments that the plot uses to raise the tension are poor and make for the typical: turn-the-car-around! situations.

A disappointment.
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4/10
Good star, terribly bad ending
milannishotmail1 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The film shone like a star, but the finale tarnished its brilliance - an exceptional concept marred by a woeful and lackluster ending.

I expected the plot to continue after the bank scene; it's just unrealistic and silly for it to end that way.

Of course, there are several other aspects worth praising in the film! First and foremost, commendations for the cast, which not only met but exceeded expectations. The phone dialogues were fantastic, as were the face-to-face negotiations! Also appreciated how the screenwriter penned and the director brought to life the presence and involvement of politics in everything, a beautiful concept. Another commendation. However, the ending ruined it all, hence my rating is a 4.
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8/10
bank heist again
cdcrb9 August 2016
I found this movie by accident at my local theatre. it wasn't even reviewed in the ny times. luis tosar is his usual manly self, aided by Rodrigo de la serna in this, you've seen it all before bank heist film. it's still fun, it's in Valencia, spain and it moves along quickly. in addition to robbing the bank and its safe deposit boxes, Rodrigo is looking in box 314 for something which could implicate high up politicos in the Spanish government. complications ensue. nothing seems to go as planned. luis and rodrigo have great chemistry. the cinematography is sharp. compared to most of the mediocre movies released by Hollywood this summer this is a refreshing treat.
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10/10
Cien años de perdón
rcarter-2195210 May 2017
Cien años de perdón, a film directed by Spanish film director, Daniel Calparsoro, is a feature film that was released on the third of March, 2016. The film stars' famous actors and actresses such as Luis Tosar, Rodrigo De La Serna, Raúl Arévalo, José Coronado, and Patricia Vico. Calparsoro's work received high praise after its release date in the form of receiving nominations for various awards, including the Goya awards, and winning best actor and best director at the Mestre Mateo Awards. Falling under the genre of action/adventure, Cien años de perdón, features thrilling scenes of suspense, violence, and narrow escapes.

The entire film is centered around a bank heist, that takes place in the city of Valencia, Spain. Bank robbers, "El Gallego" and "El Uruguayo", along with accomplices, try their luck at robbing millions of dollars from deposit boxes from one of Valencia's largest banks. When their escape plan does not go as planned it is up to them to figure out a way to freedom. However, only once inside the bank would they realize that in one special box there was much, much more than money could ever equal.

The film is set in modern times, during Spain's great recessional era. Many people of Spain were very discontent with the current government and economic regulations that they had put in place. No one without a job could obtain one, and the people who were fortunate enough to have consistent work were still barely making any money. These harsh economic times are what forced people to abandon their sense of right and wrong, and commit actions that they felt were absolutely necessary in order to survive.

Looking at the technical side of the production, the entire screening is meant to promote action and suspense. The music is always either very dark and ominous, or very fast paced and exhilarating. The actual cinematography and development of the plot line is just the same. A perfect example would be in the beginning of the film. As the camera pans across crowded streets, rain pours down and intense music plays in the background. In the corners of the shops and alleys there is only darkness, leaving it unknown what all is out there. The actors portray serious characters who clearly have led lives of crime for the entirety of their adulthood. They are well versed in being efficient, to the point, and conveying the feeling of that they are not people to be messed with.

Judging the films acting, production, plot line, and more, I believe that this movie was very well made, and deserves all the credit where it is due. The film is suspenseful and demands the attention of the audience, leaving them on the edge of their seats throughout the entirety of the motion picture. I would recommend this movie to all audiences that can handle a PG-13 level production, and I say this due to its incorporation of inappropriate language and violence. In Cien años de perdón, brilliant filmography, excellent acting, and a very well developed plot line are what makes this movie a wonderful experience, and a story you won't forget, and that is why it continues to receive national and international recognition every day.
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9/10
Too good....watch it!! a thriller for grown-ups
stepvest3 May 2017
Its a movie about bank heist but it is no ordinary heist--and it is not just guns and fists...and frothy testosterone. The real testosterone is effectively bought out by decisions that people make inside and outside when everything is on line. It is these decisions that keep you glued. Mentally and conceptually. ....it is the dialogues that sets the situation...whether it is past crime, current crime, or future action. Great acting, impressive cast sells it--you don't need special effects to make an immersive movie. Even hostages behave smartly but not too smartly--like real people, and the tension is maintained till the last min. You never know which way the movie will lean. This is something Spanish thrillers have perfected. Hollywood will not make such a movie but should....you can only ride for so long on the comic books and invincible heroes.

As others have pointed out it is not perfect, it has gaps, sometimes big holes, but the world that is created by the director (right down to the atmosphere both inside and outside) makes it come together in an entertaining manner and the twists play out in a methodical manner.
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