IR TV Review: HEIST 88 [Showtime/Paramount+]
"Heist 88" is being released on Showtime as a singular movie as a basis for perhaps a bigger story. However it seems instead of a stand alone TV movie, it was once the pilot for a more comprehensive series, but one that was never quite completed and without further refinement possible. This might likely have something to do with the strike and how it is now affecting content completion. The production company is Gunpowder & Sky which many times is known to have good material but it is the context of how it is delivered. Here the story of a known criminal coming in to do a job per se before the advent of computer verification technology is an interesting one. Add to the top of it. the context from a racial point of view of trying to beat the system makes a two-fold play on the idea of greed versus "putting it to the man" as Keith David's character makes a point of saying.
Courtney B. Vance as Jeremy Horne is perfectly cast and there is a balance of sauve, mirth, darkness, intelligence and elegance. The issue is that (maybe because of the mix and some tightening), he is playing on a completely different level than most of the rest of his cast (save for Keith David & Keesha Sharp) as well as the production. Angela Bassett produced this with Vance (they are spouses) but adding her would have given more depth. "Heist 88" seems like it could have been much more than it is but one wonders even if it was purely a pilot, where it could have gone. It feels too open and shut. If the character arc was built a little differently, it could have the feeling of a Blacklist. Horne has that context and the tendrils in his arsenal.
This story apparently was based partially on a real life heist and as the film reaches its conclusion, one wonders if it was more, or a more dynamic limited series. Again, as a character portrait, one could take out the heist and just the life of Horne (maybe like "The Continental" coming soon on Peacock) has so many things that Vance could do (even with a younger man playing him in flashbacks). This seemingly had potential but, again with the strike, looking for material or the fact that something perhaps stopped is a possibilily. Either way, it is interesting to see but the context of what it was really supposed to be is unclear. That said, the actual heist aspect of it works by the numbers with some decent tension but nothing that has not been seen before in a different context. The acting by the young contingent is now bad but more akin to a CW younger skewing idea. It is like two different tones and stories moving against each other. Again it is Vance that is the standout in a character that obviously has lived many lives. C+
By Tim Wassberg
