Thief of Hearts (1984) User Reviews

One of Bruckheimer's better movies

[Macholic · 7/10 · 22 July 2003]

Prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer also made this one, it certainly looks and sounds like Bruckheimer, his style is stamped all over it. The erotic thrillerplot, the outragously great design and cinematography. Remember Flashdance or Cat People? Well, you got the idea! Well acted, actress Barbara Williams shines as seducted interior decorator , engaging love story with a great soundtrack and some very steamy sex scenes, it looked to me as if one of the scenes was actually hardcore! Must have been an unrated version! The story revolves around a pro burglar stealing the steamy diary of a bored nice sububan wife and then seduce her. This is not a masterpiece, just a nice erotic high-concept thriller well worth seeking out. 7/10

Captivating Film

[whpratt1 · 6/10 · 20 December 2006]

This film starts out with a drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and into the City of San Francisco with fantastic music in the background and through out the entire picture. John Getz (Ray Davis), " A Day without a Mexican" plays the role as a husband who writes children's books and has reached the top of his field. Ray is married to Barbara Williams,(Mickey Davis),"Forever Evil" who is getting rather unsatisfied with her marriage as her husband is always at his typewriter and never in bed where she wants him. Steven Bauer,(Scott Muller) "The Lost City", actually runs into Mickey Davis and things progress to the boiling point between the both of them. David Caruso,(Buddy Calamara),"Blue City", plays the role of a slime ball, who is a very evil character and looks quite young in 1984. Great tale with plenty of twists and turns and I simply Love The Ending. Enjoy

Thief Of Hearts on blu-ray

[jucsetmai · 6/10 · 7 November 2020]

Funny, looking for some old papers, i came across with some old stuff in my closet, among some old movies I found a VHS tape of this movie, that contains unrated scenes for foreign version. I also owe the DVD, and as you said is cut to hell. I remember this VHS version to be more explicit in some parts. I'm a fan of this movie and I wish some day we wil get a decent Blu ray transfer coming soon on paramount pictures mod blu-ray release December

Classic eighties romantic thriller

[mc12000 · 30 May 2001]

The film tells a story of a burglar who falls in love with one of his victims whilst doing her house one night. After stealing her portrait and personal memoires, he proceeds to "learn" more and more about the victim until he decides to come into personal contact. Passing himself off as a Company Director, he slowly seduces the victim and this is facilitated by her failing marriage. Inevitably, events catch up with the thief as his partner in crime goes to desperate measures to eliminate this side-distraction. I enjoyed this movie for a number of reasons but most of all, I thought it had a fantastic eighties soundtrack throughout. The story itself is not wonderfully exciting, but the fantasy of a burglar falling for one of his victims and using his psychological advantage to seduce her is quite interesting. A sense of compassion is felt for the central character as he strives to live a fantasy of his own making that slowly starts to disintegrate due to his own dark life. John Caruso puts in a disturbing and powerful performance as the drugged-crazed partner who takes matters into his own hands.

Master thief impresses, in different drama flick that can't a certain bluntness

[videorama-759-859391 · 6/10 · 26 March 2014]

Sexy Steven Bauer is a master thief, where his co partner, a younger David Caruso run a very lucrative operation. Bauer this time, makes the mistake of falling in love, on the account of a diary he steals, among many other possessions of this rich couple. When reading it, he becomes aware of the woman's pent up fantasies if she were another character, loose and daring. Trapped in a marriage, with a successful yet egotistical writer of children's books, we can tell deep down, she yearns for more. Obviously this marriage isn't perfect, where entire fault lies on the husband's ignorance, that finally drives this woman to accept the sexual advances of Bauer, posing as an interested client of her decorating business, where soon he's making his fantasies a reality, without laying it on too thick of course, so she doesn't put two and two.... This of course brings jealously from husband (the versatile Getz) where eventually things go out of control, which has Bauer slugging him. And honestly Getz deserves it. Even Getz's friend (George Wendt) explains his problem of narcissism, to which really his point falls on death ears. Actor Bauer is something of a surprise. He brings a magnetism and mystic character to this sexy stranger who sends the love boat of this married couple rocking. With it's highly original premise which set a lot of other films apart, Thief Of Hearts can't overcome a slight if enigmatic dullness about it. Not exactly a money spinner, there are some sexy moments and some cool scenes, like the slick robbery pulled off at the Davis house, in it's opening. Speaking of openings, it's opening song I loved, more than it's title song, the opening night shot of the Golden Gate bridge in what looks like heavy fog breaking, I must say is one of the best bits. We also see younger hottie Windsor, a street hustler, earning some bucks, candidly f..king Bauer, who declines, his mind preoccupied with another woman. A few scenes later, he passes again on another offer, this time two college girls, making some extra lucre. We also see a beaver shot of Windsor, slipping into a pair of jeans, before she's over compensated for her troubles. What happened to her after Howling 4? This dull, yet intriguing movie, that entices you with it's story, is also slightly 9 and a half week'ish, it's ending I thought was cool when first seeing the movie at fifteen. Although I mentioned a dullness about it, it's just the way I saw it, in no way, it's story rushed. Not to say, this doesn't without recommendation, though for some impatient viewers, it might have them a little vexed in the two's slow building relationship of this movie, some scenes almost ceasing to exist.

Smart, Sexy and Intriguing, but bogs down, as most movies do

[joepaulagibson38 · 7/10 · 25 December 2005]

I remember the first time I saw this movie, and I thought at the time it war a tingling sexy kind of work. I thought the angle of using the stolen diary to manipulate the relationship was intriguing. Of course, Steve was very sexy then.

Bauer later played an Israeli agent in the movie "Sword of Gideon", about a Mossad agent sent, along with others, to kill 11 Palastinian Terrorists who captured and killed the Israeli Olympic Team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. It will be interesting to see how much Spielberg draws from that movie in his movie "Munich". "Sword" puts its revenge rs through emotional wringers, and several are themselves executed by the terrorists.

In "Thief",Getz was interesting in the cuckold role, and Caruso played himself. Wendt is not given much to do. Whenever I see Bauer, such as in Traffic, I think of his role in "Thief".

JoePaulaGibson38

Rum and Raisin...,

[FlashCallahan · 4/10 · 27 May 2013]

A woman trapped in a boring marriage begins an affair with a handsome man who seems able to read her mind.

She doesn't know that he has broken into her house and read her diaries, where she has recorded her deepest thoughts and fantasies.....

This had the makings of a brilliant eighties movie for me. Great producers, great musicians doing the score, and just made in the part of the eighties where everything was cool, and everybody lived in excess.

So its unfortunate that this film for me sunk like a led balloon. Yes Bauer has the charisma and the looks, but he is awful as the lead, and his delivery of lines and the way he changes just ruins the whole movie.

Is this really the guy I saw in Scarface? He was amazing in that movie.

Plus the fact that the husband does the worst thing imaginable and tries to make a living rather than letting his wife seduce him. What's a girl to do?

Caruso pops up every now and again, with lots of attitude and the soundtrack crashes in and out one several occasions, which is funny for all the wrong reasons.

It's a cheesiest in a bad way, and thank goodness that the producers had Top Gun around the corner.

This had all the makings of a cool little thriller, it just gets more mundane as the film progresses and Bauer is nothing but a miserable child in this movie.

Less than charismatic version of "To Catch A Thief"

[jordondave-28085 · 6/10 · 6 May 2023]

(1984) Thief Of Hearts THRILLER

Written and directed by Douglas Day Stewart which is like a less charismatic version of "To Catch A Thief" since the lead star is no Cary Grant centering on Steven Bauer as Scott Muller, a professional thief who happens to fall in love with a high class lady Micky Davis (Barbara Williams) he has already stole from as a result of reading her private diary which was locked in a jewel box. She's an interior decorator and upon meeting him, he tells her he's an owner of a warehouse that sells school supplies. And although she is already married, that doesn't prevent him from trying to break her relationship with her actual husband Ray Davis (John Getz) who writes popular children books for a living even though he has no children of his own. David Caruso also stars as the Scott's shady partner Buddy who at that particular time wasn't a major star yet, and George Wendt also has a small part as Ray Davis's publisher and friend of children books. The movie consists of a plot I've had never seen before but at the same time it also fills the movie with mediocre 1980's music during interaction scenes between Barbara Williams and Steven Bauer. Had this film been heightened might've motivated me to give this film a much higher rating despite the good ending.

Perv Thief has no romantic heart!

[cynet-52332 · 5/10 · 29 May 2022]

Ok this movie has everything accept a decent morale storyline. Pervert, creepy burgular who can read as well as write so he is doing Ok with regards to his education knowledge but on the morale grounds a big fat zero.

Steals an attractive bored housewife journals which are so bland as well as boring I was chuckling when he was reading them out loud. If he gets impressed by cheap poetry of words then he is easily pleased.

So the plot isn't much and he does his best to get into the sheets between the JK Rowling of romance writing journal.

But oveall if any woman would be happy knowing this man has been going through all your privates and then abusing that trust will only end up with someone going to jail.

Nothing romantic about this sinister movie but it is an 80's cheese fest title so yeah it gets 5 stars for trying to be a movie on the nine half weeks level of entertainment.

Worthless Waste

[chow913 · 1/10 · 11 April 2012]

Worthless Waste A thief steals the diary of rich bored housewife and uses her secret desires to seduce her.

The premise is intriguing. The movie is NOT. Instead we drift from one meaningless scene to another without any point. These characters and their actions (or rather lack there of) are meaningless, stupid, and more importantly boring.

The story is utterly lacking of any substance. Even the climax is dull.

SPOILER WARNING: The final scene is laughably bad as David Caruso is shot and killed by Steven Bauer in order to spare Barbara Williams having to shoot him herself and endure the guilt of taking another human life, even in justified self defense.

"I don't even remember pulling the trigger." she says.

The police simply wrap up the shooting a Barbara Williams having shot an intruder in her home.

OK, is the audience really dumb enough to believe this or just the director. The police will find VERY BASIC BALLISTIC FACTS. 1. Her revolver is cold. 2 Her revolver does not smell like gunpowder. 3. There are six live rounds in her gun. 4. Her gun will not balisticaly match the fatal bullet. AND 5. Caruso was shot in the back! The police will then demand to know WTF really shot him! And WTF she didn't tell them it was Bauer! Williams would go to jail for participating in a murder.

As I said, the whole film from beginning to end is dumb.

Magnificent neo-Hitchcock

[rollo_tomaso · 10/10 · 6 March 2001]

This movie was bitterly panned upon its release, and I see a number of IMDB's reviewers agree with the original critics. I don't get it, except that this movie does such a good idea of taking you inside Stephen Bauer's character and what he is doing is so creepy that people react viscerally to him instead of the movie. The movie is engrossing, brilliantly photographed and well-paced. The camera angles and the chemistry between Bauer and Williams are reminiscent of what Hitchcock tried to do in Vertigo, but much less forced and contrived. All these characters behave in character. I really consider this one of the best romantic thrillers of all time. Yes, it is erotic. Why is that a bad thing? 10/10.

Terrible

[mls4182 · 1/10 · 4 July 2020]

It is a filthy film and the soundtrack is even worse.

Romantic Thriller with an 80's flair

[briabba · 10/10 · 31 October 2003]

What's not to love? Hot leading man, amazing San Francisco locale and a Faltermyer/Moroder soundtrack including the incomparable Melissa Manchester. The cast is great. Steven Bauer and Barbara Williams have great chemistry together. And the appearance of David Caruso early in his career is a bit of a surprise, too. A fun fantasy escape!

Always remember this film ...

[ronalamont · 10/10 · 13 May 2018]

I saw this film IN 1984 and loved it. To this day, every time I see Steven Bauer, David Caruso or Barbara Willians I flashback to this film. It left a lasting impression on me both for its chilling concept and it's execution of the story. The acting, soundtrack, locations and cinematography were all great and the film was both intimate and erotic yet as chilling and scary as a Hitchcock film. The chemistry between the leads was electric and believable. Steven Bauer's looks certainly didn't hurt either. I'm surprised it got some bad reviews ... it's one that will always stick in my mind as very entertaining.

Almost as good as I remembered...

[DizneyPrincess · 8/10 · 7 February 2005]

I first saw Thief of Hearts on cable while I was babysitting in high school...maybe 16 years old. As a Catholic school girl, I was obsessed with all things sexual, so I was an instant fan of the movie. I saw it several more times while it was still a popular cable choice, then lost track of it. However, I never forgot it: the sexual tension, the premise...not even the title! As an adult, I talked my fiancé into renting it, issuing the standard disclaimer: "I loved this in high school, but I was into Wham!, Duran Duran and Prince, too, so proceed with caution," etc. To my surprise, it was almost as good as I remembered it having been, and the sexual situations weren't nearly as contrived as I feared they might be. Some of the acting was a little wooden, but the premise is brilliant...I'm still trying to turn that around in my head...and, for some reason, I still don't keep a diary!

Disturbing concept

[bianca-13 · 20 August 1999]

Though I do like this film, I found the concept immensely disturbing. Being a private person (you don't see my NAME on this, do you?), I found the idea that anyone could so completely invade a life absolutely terrifying. In spite of a few holes, the film works, chiefly because the characters enmesh the audience in their feelings. Steven Bauer is incredibly underrated as an actor and, while I have seen stronger performances from him, he's very good as the enamoured thief in search of a way out and Barbara Williams is credible as the neglected wife enchanted by the mystery man. Let's not leave out John Getz, another unexplainably underrated performer, as the self-absorbed husband. If you can ignore the flashy 80s style, the film is a fascinating study of obsession. Warning: it definitely deserves its R rating for unnecessary full nudity.

Psychological thriller with great performances by relative unknowns

[sultana-1 · 10/10 · 26 May 2001]

Supporting actors David Caruso (magnificently evil) and George Wendt are far better known to most of us than Stephen Bauer and Michelle Williams and John Getz. But, the starring triangle are truly superb in a movie where nothing is quite what you think it is, and the results of giving into prideful impulses come to light in unusual ways. A twist ending also adds to the proceedings in one of the best romantic thrillers I have ever seen.

Excellent setting, haunting music that grabs from the start

[joe-507 · 13 April 2000]

I saw this film after visiting San Francisco and the movie captures it's vitality completely. For me Frisco is the best city on earth and I was captured from the start. OK so the plot was unique at the time, but I thought the characters were well cast and believable. Barbara Williams stole it with her beauty, innocence and naivety. For me the passionate love scenes backed up with the Harold Faltermeyer soundtrack was top drawer. I waited 5 weeks for the soundtrack (Germany) and it was well worth the wait. I still play it today.For all these reasons I still tell people this is my favourite film so far.

80's at it's Best!

[info-853-782101 · 10/10 · 24 November 2013]

I don't care if the screenplay is superficial or not ... maybe it is, but anyway ... when I immerse into this movie, I see almost my own life in it. Myself, some years ago, a bored housewife. Driving a Beetle. Telling not her diary but Facebook her whole life. Fell in love with some stranger through the internet, who knew all my secrets. The coincidences are striking.

The breathtaking scenery of San Francisco and the soundtrack, which brings tears of joy in every Eighties-fan eyes, this movie is one of my absolute favorites. I'm addicted to this movie like to Rum Raisin. Have to see it on and on, every year.

The only thing I do not understand and where I disagree with Mickey, is her choice of letting Scott go in the last scene. I would immediately jump on his motorbike - and in my real life I did! For five years I have been married to my Thief of Hearts and this movie is OUR film.

If you're capable of feeling...

[stormer-2 · 10/10 · 29 April 1999]

...you just might "get" this film. In my heart, Douglas Day Stewart is a genius. That he is capable of such sensitivity, instinct and passion just gives me chills, as said emotions are so pitifully rare in mainstream filmmaking (let's not even discuss the hollow garbage that has risen to the surface in the past decade). The infatuation, the sickness that plagues Scott Muller in this film is so clearly, so intensely conveyed through Stewart's meticulous direction (it's his frickin' script) and the thoroughly phenomenal performance of Steven Bauer. I'll grant certain persons there being plenty of "flash," (otherwise known as brilliant photography and an energetic soundtrack) but...welcome to the 80's. That "flash" epitomized the decade and I've seen no slicker example, no smarter implementation of it than in this little picture here. The film is tremendous, ridiculously moving, simply magical. Invariably, the final scene leaves me in tears--of frustration for the characters, of enchantment for the beauty that is Thief of Hearts. I love that it is Bruckheimer/Simpson's lowest grossing film. It only stands to prove what idiots make up the bulk of American audiences.

sexy, sensuous and seductive

[trvwatson · 23 March 2003]

Sexy, sensuous and seductive, thats the only way i can sum up this movie. A young interior designer is fed up up with her life, married to a man thats more interested in his computer than satisfying her needs, decides to spend most of her time writing in her diarys, but when these are stolen by a house thief, she starts to notice a dashing hunk is paying a little to much attention to her than normal, the thief has stolen her diaries and is living out her sexual fantasies, without her knowing who he is, if this reminds you of one of those really overly sexy channel 5 movies then your right but its fantastic to watch, and is not one bit tacky, and you will love the 80s sound track.

OK this one.......

[girlinitaly1212 · 10/10 · 16 August 2006]

I was 13, or maybe 14 when I saw this movie... I was just watching movies my aunt had rented, and.... I gotta tell you.... this was the very first time I EVER had a sexual feeling in my life... at 13, mind you... I thought of going on MTV wearing a shirt that said "I Love Steven Bauer"..... (that was going to be a true mission of mine...really!)... I was determined to meet that guy... but I grew up, I'm now 35, single... (by choice, mind you...)... but I still think back to when that movie made me wonder what was going on with my body, and why it felt so good to rock back and forth a bit.(lovely)... I've kept a diary since I was in 3rd grade.... and still have them all.

HOT

[sworkg · 10/10 · 10 April 2022]

This has always been a favorite of mine. It was also my mother's fav film. Honestly, it's every bored housewife's fantasy. Excellent movie and music. For someone to invade your privacy seems a bit creepy, but when it's Steven Bauer all bets are off. INVADE MY PRIVACY! Top 5 all time.

Not bad.

[MrTaft · 16 June 2004]

I saw this on late-night TV some time ago and didn't think it was too bad. The plot is a bit far-fetched, but the film actually gets better as it goes along, so it's certainly worth a look. People say David Caruso is the only good thing in this film, but I didn't think he was very good. A bit too extreme for my taste. Shooting a cop and then losing his mind didn't do anything for me. I thought the husband and his business friend were great. The music is quite good also, and a lot of the warehouse scenes are quite well done, with lots of tension.

If you want something to kick-back with on a Saturday night, this would be one film to try. Nothing overly-special, but not bad to say the least!

Remembering Back

[parrot-21774 · 8/10 · 1 May 2022]

Seen this film in 84 when it was released. Great story line and well acted. It's one I remembered and it stood out to me. Bought it immediately when it was just released on Blu Ray in 2022. Grab some popcorn. You'll enjoy it.