'Smash 'n' Grab' is a stylish documentary, but not a completely satisfactory one. The story of a real life gang stealing jewelry, it paints a picture that really is like the movies, a world of glamour, audacity, beautiful decoys and violence, underpinned by the semi-criminal state of post-Communist Yugoslavia. Indeed, the film could be accused of glamorising its protagonists, who speak on camera, but represented in animated form. Yet the bigger picture is somehow missed: this is a gang from which 189 people have been arrested: the word "gang" seems less appropriate than the word "mafia", but the story is presented in something of the spirit of a boys-own adventure. Although the police are also featured, they don't get to tell us much, leaving the audience mainly with the story of the crooks. It's an entertaining and amazing story, but it leaves one with a sense that there's a true nastiness to this world that has been left unexplored.
7 Reviews
B-level documentary w/ heart
ianout3 November 2013
The title intrigued me , art of thievery has a captured audience, so it will appeal to those with a sense curiosity for the skillset. The documentary is certainly not all bling bling or celebrated footage of criminals caught on surveillance tape with eye popping action get-away scenes. The animation scenes are a nice touch alternative to watching or listening to someone being interviewed in a dark room with face/speech altered .Thumb up for creativity! I was really captured by the underlying story about Yugoslavia's historical event pattern / war / economic strife / social deterioration and how people coped and dealt with the impacts amidst crisis.Not a whole lot different than US prohibition era. I did not think the author glamorized the tradecraft and seemed pretty restricted about details from both sides of the law regarding the actual crime part. Overall worth watching from an educational standpoint ..not entertainment.
Missing narrative.
donnasnielsen22 November 2016
A missing narrative of this movie is that investigative reporter and associate producer Jovo Martinovic is now rotting in a Montenegrin jail awaiting 'trial' for his part in producing it. His exposes on characters, past and present, have rattled those in Montenegrin power, leading to a 'sting' as the perfect ruse for arresting and keeping him in isolation for what amounts to just doing his job. THAT story would make a much fitter ending - don't rattle the establishment, especially if it has ties to the very people it's not supposed to. Interested in finding out more about the investigative reporter and producer of Smash & Grab? Head over to Facebook and search hashtag #FreeJovo
I'M TAKING SOMETHING UNIMPORTANT FROM RICH PEOPLE FOR US
nogodnomasters2 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The story is told as a documentary. It includes interviews with the police detectives, a reporter, and two members of the gang represented in animated form. The documentary uses actual file footage from the robberies which are said to be over a 100 valued at $300 million dollars. The robberies took place in Europe, Arabia, and Japan. The crimes in Spain and Dubai are detailed. Jewel thieves like Nissan and Audi S8.
Much of the documentary is a history lesson of Yugoslavia starting with Tito in 1945. The criminals were from Yugoslavia and returned there to avoid prosecution. They used a pretty girl to case the shop before they did their smash and grab robbery. They had it down to a science. 22 seconds in the store. Anything more than that and the risk of getting caught increases.
The documentary was interesting as I was unaware of the police/media named "Pink Panther" group. I could have done without the long version history lesson of Yugoslavia. No Henry Mancini.
Parental Guidance: 1 F-bomb. Brief nudity.
Much of the documentary is a history lesson of Yugoslavia starting with Tito in 1945. The criminals were from Yugoslavia and returned there to avoid prosecution. They used a pretty girl to case the shop before they did their smash and grab robbery. They had it down to a science. 22 seconds in the store. Anything more than that and the risk of getting caught increases.
The documentary was interesting as I was unaware of the police/media named "Pink Panther" group. I could have done without the long version history lesson of Yugoslavia. No Henry Mancini.
Parental Guidance: 1 F-bomb. Brief nudity.
A really poor documentary..sort off
Eddie_weinbauer27 September 2016
It's suppose to be a documentary about a gang of highly professional criminals.But end up coming off more as a part documentary ,part travel guide, to different poor countries in Europe,where most of today's organized criminals come from.
You also don't get to hear why these places they rob, don't have better security.OR why they don't have armed guards. I Find the entire documentary very rushed, and romanticized,instead of being a solid to the point documentary. There's really no angle either,the focus is a bit all over the place.And the hook that will make you interested beyond the whole robbery thing.is lacking
You also don't get to hear why these places they rob, don't have better security.OR why they don't have armed guards. I Find the entire documentary very rushed, and romanticized,instead of being a solid to the point documentary. There's really no angle either,the focus is a bit all over the place.And the hook that will make you interested beyond the whole robbery thing.is lacking
A big boring mess trying to be stylish.
HairDude29 July 2019
That's it really. I is supposed to be at doku on a group of diamond thieves but all it is, is a boring rambling about Jugoslavian history and bad "animated" characters. I wants to be clever but is pretty silly and dumb.
Don't waste your time - it's not at all exiting on any level.
Don't waste your time - it's not at all exiting on any level.
Boring
xconwombats7 February 2022
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