Thief of Hearts (1984)

When we look back at the history of made-for-video films they'll say that this one started the erotic thriller fad. Ah, but if only they had natural redhead beauties like Barbara Williams instead of the man-made women we see today.To see David Caruso playing the same condescending stiff he has played his whole career, to see that Steven Bauer kept his career going despite this yawn of a film, to hear Williams say "I feel so violated!" or Norm Peterson say "It must be a holiday for the school suppliers." or to hear John Getz say "Dr. Seuss to the rescue." There is so much bad in this film I can see why Douglas Day Stewart is forgotten today.Finally, I must say I didn't think Unrated films existed in 1984; this one happens to have extra footage although it's very tame. I watched this one so you wouldn't have to. Stay away.

I saw this film after visiting San Francisco and the movie captures it's vitality completely. For me Frisco is the best city on earth and I was captured from the start. OK so the plot was unique at the time, but I thought the characters were well cast and believable. Barbara Williams stole it with her beauty, innocence and naivety. For me the passionate love scenes backed up with the Harold Faltermeyer soundtrack was top drawer. I waited 5 weeks for the soundtrack (Germany) and it was well worth the wait. I still play it today.For all these reasons I still tell people this is my favourite film so far.

Though I do like this film, I found the concept immensely disturbing. Being a private person (you don't see my NAME on this, do you?), I found the idea that anyone could so completely invade a life absolutely terrifying. In spite of a few holes, the film works, chiefly because the characters enmesh the audience in their feelings. Steven Bauer is incredibly underrated as an actor and, while I have seen stronger performances from him, he's very good as the enamoured thief in search of a way out and Barbara Williams is credible as the neglected wife enchanted by the mystery man. Let's not leave out John Getz, another unexplainably underrated performer, as the self-absorbed husband. If you can ignore the flashy 80s style, the film is a fascinating study of obsession. Warning: it definitely deserves its R rating for unnecessary full nudity.

...you just might "get" this film. In my heart, Douglas Day Stewart is a genius. That he is capable of such sensitivity, instinct and passion just gives me chills, as said emotions are so pitifully rare in mainstream filmmaking (let's not even discuss the hollow garbage that has risen to the surface in the past decade). The infatuation, the sickness that plagues Scott Muller in this film is so clearly, so intensely conveyed through Stewart's meticulous direction (it's his frickin' script) and the thoroughly phenomenal performance of Steven Bauer. I'll grant certain persons there being plenty of "flash," (otherwise known as brilliant photography and an energetic soundtrack) but...welcome to the 80's. That "flash" epitomized the decade and I've seen no slicker example, no smarter implementation of it than in this little picture here. The film is tremendous, ridiculously moving, simply magical. Invariably, the final scene leaves me in tears--of frustration for the characters, of enchantment for the beauty that is Thief of Hearts. I love that it is Bruckheimer/Simpson's lowest grossing film. It only stands to prove what idiots make up the bulk of American audiences.