Sneakers: the cult ‘feelgood heist film' with a hefty cast and a byzantine plot
Picture this. It's 1969. Two young hackers, Martin and Cosmo, have broken into a government facility. They're cocky little idealists but they're principled, too; they are using a computer to redistribute wealth from evil to worthwhile causes. But they're feeling peckish. Martin ducks out for pizza but as he comes back the police arrive … so he runs, leaving Cosmo to his fate.
We then jump forward several decades. Martin (Robert Redford) has changed his name and now works as a specialist helping corporations test their readiness against security breaches, having turned his law-breaking habits into a viable career. He's also assembled a crack squad of intelligence industry leftovers and lawbreaking ne'er-do-wells. And, within minutes, this group of misfits is thrust into a conspiracy bigger than they ever dreamed was possible.
Sneakers has developed a justifiable cult following since its release in 1992. Those who love it speak of it less as a film and more as a place – somewhere they visit whenever they need an escapist pick-me-up.
It has a hefty cast: Redford's old-school Hollywood cool works so well for Martin, a roguish, haunted do-gooder. (He's not dissimilar to Redford's Bob Woodward, with a dash of Danny Ocean thrown in.) Sidney Poitier plays Donald Crease, an ex-CIA operative and wary foil to Martin's swashbuckling tendencies. Dan Aykroyd plays Mother, a conspiracy nut who excels at electronics. River Phoenix sings as Carl, a young, brash hacking savant, and David Strathairn (in a career-beating performance) is Whistler, their blind sound guy.
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You'd be hard-pressed to find a more likable ensemble. They strike the perfect point between believability and likability; we're so in love with them as people that we can't help buying into Sneakers' byzantine plot. There are secret passwords, hidden clues, disguises – and none of it seems ridiculous, because the cast and characters all take it seriously enough while having fun every step of the way.
The plot gives our heroes somewhere magical to play. Once we've met the crew, Martin is approached by two National Security Agency officers, who promptly inform him the jig is up. After decades of anonymity, he's been sprung: they know about the 1969 job. They know his true identity. And they'll keep it a secret … provided he and his team undertake a job for them: stealing a black box, developed by a mathematics genius. This box is dangerous, and it's going to help the Russians, the spooks say – and they won't say much more.
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With that, we're off. Phil Alden Robinson, who also directed Field of Dreams, helps keep the tone of Sneakers perfectly in check. It's often described as a feelgood heist film, and not without good reason: the gang's pursuit of the black box has Martin forced to get back in touch with his ex, Liz (Mary McDonnell), at which point a real Hepburn and Tracy screwball dynamic springs up.
Sneakers also has one of the best film scores of all time. No, really: James Horner, whose signature sounds brought Aliens, Apollo 13, Titanic and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan to life, teams up with saxophonist Branford Marsalis to create a haunting and energising sound. Watching Redford tapping away slowly as Horner's score punctuates every tenuous keystroke will have you holding your breath – like the cast, Horner understood the brief.
The stakes in Sneakers get very high, very fast, which makes for an utterly compelling, yet profoundly comforting film. Everyone on Martin's crew has a romantic, idealistic worldview, which the film itself shares: speak truth to power and help the little guy. And isn't that just the kind of cinematic vibe we need right now?
Sneakers is available to stream on Apple TV+ and Prime in Australia, US and the UK. For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here
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