Cool Caper Worth Owning?
 

I just finished watching Guy Ritchie's Snatch, and enjoyed it immensely. I found it sleeker than Lock, Stock..., and loved the larger-than-life characters.

I want another good caper, but I don't know where to look. Can anybody recommend a similar movie? Similar meaning, containing humor and wild antics just like Snatch did....it DOESN'T have involve theft or be British; it can be domestic or international.

Humor, maybe violence, larger-than-life characters, and crazy escapades are key. Thanks, forumers!

Maybe Pulp fiction for you.

I recommend "Waking Ned Devine."

"I Went Down" is similar to "Snatch" but isn't available on DVD.

Thanks for the responses. Pulp Fiction is an obvious choice, but I think most everyone, including me, have seen that flick one too many times (and yet, I still don't know what's in that case).

Ocean's Eleven (both versions) are kinda like Snatch as well, but the comedy levels are extremely low and I just didn't like those films at all. People find them entertaining but I don't.

Any others?

Since Pulp Fiction was already mentioned, how about Jackie Brown? Pretty much the quintessential modern "cool" caper, and my favorite Tarantino flick.

If you're region-free, Australia has a nice DVD of a Guy Pearce movie called The Hard Word that involves three bothers trying to pull off one last job while bouncing in and out of jail. Very fun film. :) Lions Gate is releasing it theatrically in late June, though, so an R1 DVD would probably show up around the fall sometime.

Way of the Gun might be something to look into, as well. The reviews were fairly mixed, but I love the movie. It's not a typical caper, per se, but there's humor (the opening scene is one of the funniest things ever), action and gun-play, along with some drama (some people think it drags during these scenes, but I never saw what the problem was).

If you're open to smart, well-written capers without the big focus on humor, Nine Queens and David Mamet's Heist would be great choices.

Yeah, I loved "Way of the Gun."

I second Jackie Brown and Ocean's 11 (well, the new one atleast). Heist with Gene Hackman is also very good.

Killing Zoe by Pulp Fiction co-writer, Roger Avary, is a great, overlooked caper flick.

DragoonElf, in another thread (that is mysteriously absent now), I know you had mentioned that you had seen the original The Italian Job with Michael Caine. I just got the Region 2 DVD last week, and it's a great special edition with three cool documentaries, a hilarious deleted scene and (so-so) audio commentary. I hope Paramount includes these same features whenever they decide to release a Region 1 edition (perhaps sometime in the fall to coincide with the American remake's debut on DVD?). Anyway, it’s truly a cinematic classic and worth owning for anyone with region-free capabilities. I found it the perfect blend of clever plotting, spectacular stunts (you have to love the original Mini Coopers), fun casting and inimitable British humor. By the way, I had recently picked up the PlayStation game of the same name (which I play on my PS2) and found it to be one of the best, most ingenious movie tie-ins I’ve ever played.

Another vote for Heist.

Also, if you are open to non-English language films, Rififi is just about the coolest caper ever, in my opinion.

The Taking of Pelham 123.

Toss in Usual Suspects and Reservoir Dogs.
It's not on DVD and is really very subdued, but the French film le Cercle Rouge is also excellent. I also have a soft spot for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the Sting (beware, the latter of those two is only available as full frame).

Formula 51 might be something you may want to check out. I thought it was a little over the top with larger than life characters.

Since you're asking about movie recommendations, I'm moving this to Movie Talk.