User reviews

Typical easy going Balkan comedy written and directed by Fadil Hadzic takes us on a trip with a troupe of traveling actors who perform at an experimental prison where the thieves have first class creature comforts provided to them by a reformist warden. The group, ironically, presents a play about thieves for thieves called The State Thief. As a result, two narratives are combined: the criminals' perspective and the play's perspective. Unfortunately, the criticism of the government is toned down to the point that nothing truly important is left - I suppose they needed the money from those guys on the top to get the film finished!

I'll remember it for its great acting, mediocre directing, and bad screenplay.

Well, actually "take the money and run" is to be interpreted as the very solid attempt to raise funds for - movie adaptation of an actually awfully bad play written by Fadil H. - most celebrated comedy writer in his country.

a wannabe "theather of the absurd" as a universal critics upon thieves infiltrated in highest ranks of the establishment is a farce without teeth - not even a slightest political insinuation (don't forget who payed for the movie after all) yet aplenty of worn off jokes spread regularly in "theater of boredom".

the only good and very sad highlight in this "play" is the cast - such nice talents giving in their soul for a non-worthy shallow script, even in the very amateur "musical singing scene" with horrible light, camera etc. - but as there is an old saying in Bosnia, where 95% of the cast, narrator, writer & team comes from - "ne pravi se pita od govana".

First Class Thieves is a story involving a group of traveling actors who perform at an experimental prison where the thieves have first class creature comforts provided to them by a reformist warden. Ironically the troupe performs a play named The State Thief, a play about thieves for thieves. Thus we have two stories intertwined, one view from the play and the other from the convicts view. The movie proceeds throughout in a whimsical fashion and shows how in today's society one day you can be a swindler in the headlines, and the next day be at a party with state officials. The story poses such interesting questions as didn't those who write laws write them for themselves? Overall the film feels a little wacky, but that's part of its charm. Well deserving of a watch.