Thief

There's so much going on in this film in terms of character and plot, it's the first film in what I like to call Mann's Manchild trilogy with Heat and Collateral. Frank is an asshole and a tough son of a bitch but you have to admire his determination to stick by his code of honor even if no-one else will, Frank wants the family he never had but he has to compromise to get it so he makes a deal with Leo, who literally becomes a father figure (Leo even states it during their first meeting)

This clash between Frank's independence and Leo's organization is what's so fascinating, Frank has to sacrifice everything in order to be truly independent again. There's no room in the world for someone like Frank.

You also have the dynamic of Frank's two father figures, Okla and Leo. Okla raised him in prison, like the father Frank never had, Leo provides a different kind of father figure, one who gives Frank anything he wants but when Frank tries to assert his independence he smacks Frank down.

Tuesday Weld is an underrated actress, her character is kind of there but Weld gives her a steely toughness, she wants what Frank wants, a family, the diner scene is terrific, Caan's monologue making her smile with almost admiration.

It's a shame the score sounds so dated in some scenes otherwise I'd consider this a masterpiece, as it is, it's very good.

That is true, Frank's monologue in the diner is so effective because of the way Caan tells that story. I think the whole cast elevates the script.

The score was good during the heist scenes but it sounded so cheesy during those beach scenes.

Robert Prosky get's the best death, tough old bastard that he was.

I'd say it's the latter, the only family Frank really had was Okla. I think Frank knew Leo was a man of his word so he chose to destroy everything he worked for rather than let Leo destroy it.

I think it was a void Frank wanted to fill, he wanted the family he never got growing up, It's funny that Frank has three families essentially, he has Okla who you could say was like a single parent, Leo, who represented one family in the form of a gang and finally the family Frank has with Jessie.