NetFlix Movie "The Jewel Thief" Review

Story and Spoilers Ahead : The Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins — follows Rehan Roy (Saif Ali Khan), a debonair master thief at the mercy of a heartless and uncaring crime lord Rajan Aulakh (Jaideep Ahlawat), whose forceful hand pushes him into committing an “impossible” diamond heist. The prize is the African Red Sun, an irreplaceable gem on view at a museum in Mumbai. The best in the business, so the story goes, Rehan drafts up a plan to break into the exhibition hub under heavy security — think your stereotypical laser grids, some nifty disguises, and a healthy dollop of Bollywood-style creative liberties. Naturally, nothing goes as planned. Twists around the heist plot cascade in a Mouse-Trap-like tangle of shifting loyalties and double-crossing.

About halfway through the movie, when the museum heist is beginning to drag, the action literally takes off, placing our heroes on an aerial caper on a jet carrying a prince and his entourage. This escalation is obviously a bid to raise the stakes and add a little drama. In the meantime, Rehan becomes intimate with Rajan’s dissatisfied wife, Farah (Nikita Dutta) — lacing the action with some forbidden flirtation. As Rehan plots to outwit Rajan and perhaps even free Farah from her abusive husband’s clutches, the two men are perpetually plotting against each other. By the end of the whirl of stabbings, back stabbings, bullets and betrayals, the fate of the Red Sun diamond rests on one last twist — one that you almost certainly will see coming. The movie even concludes on a sequel-bait note (“the heist continues…”) indicating that the saga is not through. It’s a lot to risk, given that the self-contained story hardly justifies its own running time.

Direction and Filmmaking , The Netflix caper is co-directed by Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal, with action-thriller supremo Siddharth Anand on board as producer. The direction is disappointingly by-the-numbers, for all the promising talent calling the shots. One thing that can certainly be said for the film is that it’s slick and polished – you have glossy international locations, glossy set pieces and that high-budget sheen that Netflix’s reputation is built on. Yet behind the slick veneer, the storytelling is generic to the max. The screenplay seldom provides the clever twists or tension that a strong heist picture requires. Each stage of the heist played out with virtually zero sleight-of-hand for the audience to debate over.

Tonally, it aspires to be a masala mix of shiny good-versus-evil action and frothy family drama — think Dhoom crossing paths with Money Heist — but the pieces never quite click together. A couple of smart assy exchanges between Saif and Jaideep land (their sarcastic chin-wag is among the few pleasures of the only occasional light), but not much else. But the tone of the story flips uncomfortably between that of a suspenseful, high-stakes thriller and campy romp, and it doesn't work. And the directors never settle confidently into one of those tones, resulting in a film that’s not quite tense enough to engage you and not quite cheeky enough to consistently amuse. A sign of the show was many described it the following day as “all style, no substance,” essentially a stylish snoozefest in the packaging of a heist movie.

Performances – Can Saif & Jaideep Save It? ???? The presence of Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat is undoubtedly The Jewel Thief’s best on paper. Both are magnetic actors that elevate material – but even they can do only so much here. Saif Ali Khan is Rehan, the looming thief of the title, and he plays his conman with a laid-back, winking-cool attitude; the part, though, doesn’t stretch his range much beyond having him smirk his way through a lot of things that are ridiculous. Indeed, at times you get the feeling Saif is coasting, with the brain telling the muscle to just enjoy the pay day and lets not waste time breaking into a sweat over a lousy script.

Jaideep Ahlawat has more to chew on as crime boss Rajan, who is just a pure sadist who gets his kicks from violence. Jaideep does his best to bring menace and gravitas to this cartoonishly evil role. He succeeds some of the time; he’s always a gripping presence on screen. But there are other moments when the script’s clunky line readings and one-note ferocity render Rajan comedic rather than menacing.

The supporting cast doesn’t do much better. Nikita Dutta as Farah (Rajan’s wife) is woefully wasted. Kunal Kapoor is an earnest cop with an underwritten role. Veteran actor Kulbhushan Kharbanda is seen as Rehan’s philanthropic doctor father and Gagan Arora as Rehan’s younger brother – both adequate, but nothing that leaves a mark.

Tone, Pacing, and Technical Bits , You can’t fault The Jewel Thief for looks, that’s for sure. Cinematography (Jishnu Bhattacharjee) and editing (Aarif Sheikh) contribute to this glossy, high-octane feel of the movie, which is its absolute high point. The pacing is fast — at 1 hours 58 minutes, at least the film doesn’t overstay its welcome on paper. Some anxiety-provoking action set-pieces, to be sure, if not especially memorable ones. For example, there is an early chase scene in which Rehan flees Interpol agents that delivers some laughs and thrills.

But when it comes to special effects and CGI, it’s a potential weak spot. The mid-air heist set piece contains a few slapdash-looking visuals. The production design is an improvement – the film offers up rich sets and glossy locations. Serviceable music and background score, but forgettable songs in situation.

Reception – Audience and Critics This movie has some really bad reviews, but let’s break it down into two categories: what the public and social media says , So Netflix has been advertising this as a mass film, it would seem that instead of thinking that it is a great blockbuster, it faced some very low ratings. Most critics believed that the film spectacularly underperformed its potential due to the star and plot. Ratings are 1 to 2.5 out of 5 stars across the board. The film holds a rating of about 6.2/10 on IMDb. Responses on social media have varied from disappointment to snarky takedowns.

It was heavily marketed on Netflix and quickly found an audience. It will end up in top 10 trending titles in some territories, particularly India, thanks to Saif Ali Khan’s star power. But word-of-mouth indicates viewership possibly could drop off rapidly.

Final Verdict - The Jewel Thief is a movie with a shiny surface — pretty leads, slick production values, globe-trotting dynamics of a diamond heist — but if you crack it open, there’s precious little inside. There are a handful of entertaining scenes but the film cannot escape its excruciatingly predictable plotting and bland execution. It manages to waste your time more than entertain you. My own two cents? The Jewel Thief is an over-the-top, forgettable romp. Better luck next time, Netflix – perhaps you should let more expert professionals do the stealing.