Stanley Tucci's 110-Minute Heist Movie Is One Of Prime Video's Biggest Streaming Hits
by Jeremy Smith · /FilmAdd SlashFilm on Google:
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After his appearance in "Citadel," Stanley Tucci's back on the Prime Video charts — but this time, for a movie instead of a TV show.
Tucci has performed so frequently and so brilliantly in film over the last 41 years that it's not really our fault if we take him for granted. He is a classic working actor, a restless artist who probably has the next two roles lined up ahead of the one he's currently playing. He is cozily at home in any genre, be it the breezy comedy of "The Devil Wears Prada," the deeply unnerving horror of "The Lovely Bones" (in which he played a serial killer of children, a role he tried to get out of), or the crime drama of "Road to Perdition" (where he's brutally effective as notorious hitman Frank Nitti). His characters may not always be pleasant, but watching him ply his trade is only ever a joy.
This year, he made a triumphant return to the role of Nigel Kipling in "The Devil Wears Prada 2," which seemed to cap off the typically busy Tucci's year surprisingly early. Then, last week, Prime Video unceremoniously dropped "Masterplan," a heist film in which Tucci's British art thief, Roger Cavendish, hatches a plan to steal the Mona Lisa. The streamer did little in the way to promote the film, but that evidently didn't matter, as the movie is currently the third most popular title on the service. And, hey, I get it. If see Tucci appearing in a new movie I haven't seen, I'm liable to give it a whirl.
Is it worth your while? There are only five reviews listed on Rotten Tomatoes at the moment, and only one of them is positive. But it does sound like a twisty, Tucci-fied crime flick, which may very well be what you need after a long day at work.
Masterplan is an unapologetically lightweight heist comedy
Directed by Thomas Vincent (who helmed the pilot for Prime Video's "Reacher"), "Masterplan" finds Tucci's Cavendish character hiring two young accomplices to assist him in pulling off the crime of the century. Why would he opt for two co-conspirators with whom he's never worked before? That's a plot twist, but it's mentioned on the IMDb page and in the trailer, so Prime Video apparently doesn't consider it a spoiler. If you don't want to know, stop reading now!
Cavendish has enlisted the aid of tech expert Chiara (Simona Tabasco) and demolitions man Jay (Victor Belmondo, the grandson of legendary French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo) because they're his long-lost children. As you might guess, awkwardness and squabbling ensues, which is less than ideal if you're attempting to swipe the most carefully guarded piece of art in the world, but "Masterplan" cares more about fun than practicality.
The film looks like television — it certainly won't end up on any lists of the best heist movies of all time — but at least it's only a one-and-done commitment. That's a relief in an age where our free time is dominated by a glut of series. So keep your expectations low, and settle in for a light and frothy Tucci vehicle!