The Maiden Heist by Michael LeSieur 8 out of 10

The Maiden Heist by Michael LeSieur
8 out of 10


This is not The Godfather, Bonnie and Clyde or some other classic,but it is endearing nevertheless.

The presence of three cinematic gods evidently boosts the motion picture, although it is not sufficient in itself,
There have been some failed attempts recently to cast some legends and wait for the public and critics to be in awe.

Going Out is Style has Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin in it, but the results are alas forgettable.
The same Morgan Freman has much more success here, alongside Christopher Walken, Marcia Gay Harden and William H. Macy.

The film debuts with Christopher Walken in the role of Roger Barlow, an aging security guard in an art museum.
There seems to be an attack, planned by a well trained team of criminals, well armed and descending on ropes from the ceiling somewhere.

In the gun fight that ensues, the brave, dedicated, passionate, agile, combative Roger Barlow opposes this invasion of thugs singlehanded.
He shoots from the hip, takes down multiple opponents, rolls on the ground like the Bruce Willis characters and is alone against the leader of the team of villains.

Roger would not allow them to take his favorite painting, of a sad, beautiful woman.
All this was a dream.

A group of visitors comes to the room, accompanied by a guide.
As she explains about the painting of the splendid woman, the guard interferes and shows that he has studied and knows so much more about the work of art that he loves so much.

Unfortunately, his favorite and other paintings, sculptures and objects of beauty would be moved across the ocean, into Europe.
Roger is flabbergasted and depressed about the prospect.

In about the same state we find another guard, Charles Peterson, played by Morgan Freeman.
He has another predilection, but is also aghast at the prospect of losing the art he loves.

As they grieve together, the two new friends, Roger and Charles discover a surveillance tape that shows a man undressing and enjoying in the nude yet another Object of Beauty, a statue this time.
As the two guards approach him and talk about the tape, George McLendon aka William H. Macy is thinking that they want to blackmail him and he is very reluctant to talk to the two men.

Once the first suspicious approach is replaced by an honest communication, a devious plan is set up.
The three men want to organize...

The Maiden Heist.

They intend to take the beauties they cherish, in fact worship, given the length they are prepared to go to in order to keep them close, and extract them from e middle of the art that would be shipped.
Originals would be replaced by copies and nobody would know in Denmark about this switch.

Charles is an excellent, if amateur painter.
His rendition of his favorite painting is almost an exact replica of the original.

But he is not so successful in rendering the spark, the emotion, the aura and glow in the tableau of the Sad Woman.
Roger is even arguing with him, over the glorious work he did on one and not the other of the tableaux...

To get his Sad Woman right, he walks to a venue where artists gather and is asked for $ 1000 for an exact copy, which he says would be a gift for his wife.
To train for the "Maiden Heist" George could be valuable, since he claims special expertise, gained in the landing in Grenada 

An assault in which the trained individual claims he has participated in the third wave of marines.
There are amusing moments as the self proclaimed expert lands on some flower pots the Charles would miss.

Then Roger falls so hard, one would think it is the end of him, not just the Maiden Heist.
This comedy is a mirthful experience, if not ecstatic or sublime.