Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

krazedpoetess I want the 70 minutes of my life back from having watched this film. THis film has no point, no plot, no answers NOTHING. I never did find out who or where those dang pets came from or what happened to them after. There was so much randomness that had nothing to do with anything else in the film and scenes that really made no sense.... Like why would cops let a girl loose in a zoo after arresting her for shoplifting? What the heck was the point of her imagining herself frolicking in ice water with a giant stuffed polar bear... mind you there are no other scenes where we see her having blatant hallucinations or a big imagination in other parts of the film. The film was just long and pointless and I really don't see how anyone can sit and pretend they "got" the film when there was nothing to get in the first place. I love indie films and artistic films. Even some of those indie, artistic, hipster films.... but this was just sheer garbage.

RaymondKevin I caught the Polar Bear sequence of this movie while flipping through channels when it ran recently on Sundance and was intrigued enough to catch the entire film on a repeat screening the next day. From the opening sequence, I hunkered down for what was going to be a wild ride. I loved how this movie develops, not knowing where it's going with Eleonore randomly (yet expertly) picking off her victims. Each score opens up a new story. It's how life is in NYC, a random encounter on the street can completely change your life. You may find love, you may find heartache, you may find the most disgusting horror or the most sublime bliss. It was a perfect, slice-of-life movie about Manhattan. Others in this section have complained about Eleonore being unsympathetic or the lack of explanation for her motivation. She's not meant to be likable or admirable. If you've ever been the victim of robbery or theft (There is a circle in hell for whoever who stole my wallet from my car almost 30 years ago) there is nothing that will compel you to like her. Yet -- You are intrigued by her, even when she's being annoying (table tennis anyone?). To know what motivates the thievery would be to reduce it to a Lifetime movie. To observe her in action is to witness her process --how is she going to pull each score off? The "why" does not matter. I can understand why the filmmakers did not give the audience clues in the Q&A. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.I was very impressed with many aspects of the movie. Casting and performances were spot on, every character made you curious for more details and more info. There is a movie waiting to be made for every person in this film. Those two cops! Hilarious. The doorman, the father and the daughter! Loved them. The man with the kid at the playground! More! The couple throwing around money at the bar! MORE! The man telling everyone "You're beautiful/handsome!" Yes, more please! With each score, the details of the booty became intriguing in backstory. I would love to know the connection between the book about Sarkozy and the woman in the bar. Where did her money come from? Why does the dad have four kittens in a puppy in the same bag? The use of locations in Manhattan felt very real, without being the touristy version that you get in most movies about NYC. This is the everyday Manhattan that feels lived-in and loved in. The glossy fake universe of SATC and other big-budget movies is absent (although I would love to live in Carrie/Big's apartment in SATC1).My only critique is in the ending. While I'm glad that Eleonore is eventually caught, the sequence in Virgin Megastore threw me off 1) Because that store is out of business (yes, I know the movie was shot in 2007/8) and 2) as someone else pointed out, she steals a DVD to place in the CD player. Perhaps that was a comment about how disorienting being busted was to Eleonore. But for me, it just felt like a "meh." The Polar Bear sequence at the zoo opened up an intriguing possibility about her reality (or lack of) that could have taken the film further. I am thrilled to learn that this movie is on DVD and will get it to experience the commentary track and short film extras. This film has made me very curious about the work of Joshua Safdie and the Red Bucket Brigade. I will seek out more of their work.

jackn60 She's the only one that takes heart to a man that says "hello, handsome; hello beautiful" to every person he comes into contact with.She meets an acquaintance on the street as she's looking to steal a car. He obliges to help her, and together they go for a random all-night drive to Boston. It's about 20 minutes into the escapade before he says, "So, how have you been? I haven't seen you in a while." She sees a man walking a purse as if it's a dog.At the film's climax, she's caught. Except, she doesn't try to run away (which she easily could have done). She says, "I just want to look through it" over and over again. That simple dialogue alone reveals her motivations for what she does but still leaving tons of mystery. She is not a sociopath. A sociopath has no interest in how others feel. She goes as far as to rob other people to know them.And I don't understand the hate that some of these reviews convey. If anything, I would think that some of them have to be jokes. To criticize this movie for having no plot or character development is absurd. It's the moments of this random woman's life (a character you've never seen before... she's seemingly thoughtless, passionate, vivacious) This is such a moving film, with too many beautiful moments to name (I hate that I can't name them all). If these images and moments fail to affect most viewers (and by other reviews, it seems to have done so), then I feel sorry for those people for missing out on so much.Last example: at one point a man is shown filming his son at the playground. The father tells him to fill up his pale with sand and run it down the slide. The son says it's "dumb and weird." The father says it "No, it will be cool for our movie."

Lola Seemingly unaware of itself, The Pleasure of Being Robbed, floats along each frame in a similar fashion that Eleonore does. Not for a second is the film pretentious as one may think after reading a brief description; there is no judgment on Eleonore. We follow and watch her as she goes through her day, stealing smiles, hugs, and kittens from strangers. It is intriguing and (seemingly) unconscious in the same ways Richard Linklater's Slacker is, and with this said, it is likely those who did not find Slacker appealing would not be interested in The Pleasure of Being Robbed. (This review is coming from someone who is in love with Slacker so...) But it is more intimate than Slacker is; in Slacker, we only get a couple of minutes with each character; with The Pleasure of Being Robbed, we get 71 minutes. With this said, it is not a continuation of Slacker; it stands on its' own as a piece of art. Eleonore is essentially a child. She tip-toes around (literally, in some instances), looking as though she is singing something in her head and giggles and smiles to herself. She has little inhibition and thus, feels the right to steal from people in order to peak into their lives and create another self. In the spirit of Arthur Rimbaud, "I is someone else," for her. And just the way people love children for not restraining themselves with certain actions, they know it is also selfish. Her character is both beautiful and sad; both distant and relate-able.I saw this film at the IFC in New York City and the director and the woman who played Eleonore were there after (along with the other makers of the film) answering questions. I was pleasantly surprised at how honest Josh Safdie (the director) was in his answers. He was completely genuine and modest, and seemed excited, going on digressions. It was a nice change in a place that is often overwhelmed by pretentious, arrogant, aspiring filmmakers.