The Anderson Tapes

Fairly swanky and not-too-serious to boot, this heist film is built upon a cracking script and is lead by confident and enjoyable performances from Connery, with the supporting characters doing well with their equally fun characters. The last third is, as you'd expect, proper '70s Lumet thriller boldness.

Viewed August 11, 2021. The big twist here is the portrayal of surveillance technology, but Lumet and the script have no idea what to actually do with it, since it never creates unease like the decade's later paranoia thrillers, and every time Lumet cuts to a security camera or hidden microphone, Quincy Jones' hits some shrill, annoying notes on his synthesizer.

This is very much a dated film. Its amusing in terms of seeing what I assume cutting edge technology was perceived as, at the time the film was made - there's lots of tapes, cassette tapes and loud beeping noises, esp. at the start of the film. Connery does pretty well in his role and there are some fairly exciting/entertaining moments but it did feel rather dull otherwise. With the main character being an ex-con, its hardly as if I feel entirely sorry for him. I wouldnt recommend it, no.

Christopher Walken's first big screen appearance! The Anderson Tapes is a well-made and sadly obscure crime caper movie. It doesn't rank among the director's best but it's pretty good stuff and the cast is great as may be expected from Lumet.

This has not aged well. It's extremely rough around the edges, and it features one of the most annoying soundtracks ever committed to film.

Turns into a reasonably fun heist after some initial clunkiness but never rises to the level of talent involved.

Too earnest to be stylish, and too contrived to be art, it nevertheless contains some good performances--Balsam. Connery and young Walken being particularly fine--and its early treatment of surveillance makes it seem almost contemporary (except of course for those giant reels of tape).

Like with so many heist movies the highlight of the movie is the heist itself. In this there is some good cutting between the heist, interviews with the victims after the heist by the police and police actions during the heist. Connery makes for an excellent gentlemen thief you want to root for. The larger point the movie wants to make about illegal wiretapping and surveillance by the government completely falls flat though, cause it's totally underdeveloped.

72.000

A brilliant first hour, where the robbery is planned on surveillance footage from several government agencies, but the robbery itself is standard fare and the ending is rushed.

This was a really cool movie about a thief and his next job. Despite the cookie cutter formula, the movie is casted impeccably and paced very well. Great performances by everybody, and a story excellently told.

Good film of a GREAT book (the entire book is done in transcripts from various goverment agencies). It was always gonna be hard to film. Toe knee :-)

Great film.

The first half of the film is a pretty good set-up. A grittier Ocean's Eleven. But the 2nd half lacks a decent payoff. It hardly makes the viewer feel it was worth their while to get invested. As for the attempts to make the technology foreboding, the electronic soundtrack is just silly, and the suspense never really happens. "The Conversation" this is decidedly not.

Sean Connery leads a good ensemble cast in this film. The cast all seem to be having a good time in this movie. There are some fun moments in this film, especially during the heist. Overall I would recommend this film.

72.000

The Anderson Tapes' central heist is a pretty flaccid affair, and there's not nearly enough focus on the intelligent surveillance subplot from which its title originates. Lumet's direction is uncharacteristically pedestrian, Quincy Jones' electronic score is horrible and Connery just looks bored throughout. The main attraction is Martin Balsam's hilariously camp performance.

Odd little 70s crime flick, dig the soundtrack.

Not one of Lumet's finest. The decision to present the film from cops (surveillance) point-of-view diminishes the suspense, as we already know that Connery & co. will be caught. The excessive amount of surveillance on such Lo-Fi technology feels a bit far-fetched, but maybe it's not as the film pre-dated Watergate. The filmmakers fail to display a sense of space, and it feels like the heist takes place in one hallway. Cast is fine, especially Walken in his debut.

A get-the-team-together heist movie but with the added surveillance paranoia that was popular in this era. The two don't totally mesh as the plot becomes overly complicated and the latter feels tacked-on by the end. Connery is good and is supported by a pretty solid cast. Baby-faced Walken makes an appearance.