This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn't exist.

Criminal lovers on the run, made popular by the ‘Bonnie & Clyde' type stories seen in films and TV shows, the original though was a novel by Edward Anderson. His novel, Thieves Like Us, inspired the Nicholas Ray 1948 film, They Live By Night which explored this them. But director Robert Altman took a different approach with his 1974 adaptation. While there is a very sweet and tender romance at the heart of the film, there is no ‘Bonnie & Clyde', there is just Bowie, the criminal and Keechie, the garageman's daughter, but just like any story from this period, it's no less tragic.

Three criminals break out of prison together, older bank robbers, T-dub and Chicamaw and the younger Bowie who was convicted of murder as a teenager. Taking shelter with relatives, Bowie meets Keechie and is quickly smitten. The threes criminals continue to rob banks, making quite a hefty sum each, creating a media stir. But after an accident, Bowie is left in the care of Keechie. They two fall in love and decide to leave together, but Bowie can't seem to escape his criminal past.

The thieves of the title, make a compelling disjointed gang, each determined to continue in a life of crime out of necessity and some sort of thrill. Each with their own purpose; T-Dub to marry Lula, the sister of his brother's wife, Chicamaw to gain as much money as possible and drink it all away and Bowie, who has no purpose until he meets Keechie. Its early on that nostalgia sets in, wishing for the good old days despite only just starting out together as a gang. T-Dub continuously says, they'll never be thieves like them again, as if knowing this group is a rare breed but also anticipating that they'll soon split and go their separate ways. But with all criminals, there needs to be a punishment, each receiving theirs off screen. The fact that we never see what actually happened to T-Dub and Chicamaw is abandoned on the roadside, we're left to guess and wonder. Only Bowie is given a definitive end which is bloody and violent. There is one small bit of hope, Keechie who we hope can have a normal life after what she has witnessed, but as its open ended, we're again left to guess.

The moments away from the robberies and the gang of thieves, the scenes where its just about Bowie and Keechie are a delight to watch. Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall are a perfect match, each revealing their vulnerabilities and there is a glimmer of hope that makes us think for a minute that maybe they'll make it. Altman lulls us into a crime story but opens us up to a romance baked in and it makes the most unexpectedly delightful film, even if the tragedy at the end brings us back to reality.

Limited edition special features:

High-Definition digital transfer
Original uncompressed mono PCM audio
Audio commentary by director Robert Altman
Brand new interview with co-screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury who discusses the film and her working relationship with Altman (2023)
Brand new interview with star Keith Carradine (2023)
Geoff Andrew on Thieves Like Us – the critic discusses the film and its place within Altman's work
Two classic radio plays featured in the film – The Shadow written by and starring Orson Welles and Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police starring Ed Gardner
Trailer
Promotional image gallery
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by critic Pamela Hutchinson; archival writing by Robert Altman; and a piece looking at the script development from the novel by professor Alan Schroeder
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings