This diner scene is beautiful. I think the chemistry between the actors is on par with the best moments of Cassavetes' A Woman Under the Influence. It's well written, well acted, the collage-photography is a peculiar asset generating unexpected lines of dialogue, the atmospheric music fading in and out is perfect. It's deep and moving, and the romance that plays out is unusual. As a whole, I really enjoyed Thief, it's masterful and has this gritty 70's feel that for me is one of the best aesthetics seen in American cinema (think Friedkin, late Lumet, Pakula, Cassavetes, flicks like Marathon Man). You may call it "realist" but there was a lot of technics and expertise in these images, it was more about designing an idea of a bare reality than just doing it "raw".
I incorporated parts of the diner scene plus the heart breaking "get out" dialogue at the of the movie in this music mix. Give it a go if you liked the movie: https://soundcloud.com/golomann/a-shiro-ukari-floating-aimlessly

In one scene near the end of the movie you can clearly see a street sign in front of Frank's car lot that reads 'N Western Ave'. I think that the actual lot might be a place called Car Town at 850 N. Western, near Ukranian Village. Here's a the Google street view photo of the place:
http://goo.gl/maps/ztAkz
.
Not identical, but it has been over 30 years since filming. I must have driven past this place a million times and then one day something clicked and I recognized it.
Anyone know if I'm right or not?

I was ready to jump all over your posting, but you know you might just be right. I mean why not? It's fiction based on fact and both movies were made by Mann. So it's his world. Why not make a connection? And Frank is a maniac in many respects. He doesn't care. Good catch.

There may be a small connection between Thief and Heat. Nate(Voight) tells Neil(Deniro) that Hannah(Pacino) took out Frankie Ungers crew in Chicago, and that Frankie was beep maniac. It could be frank from Thief he's talking about.

Michael Mann's signatures on his movies. The man is a genius.
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As another person has posted on here the diner scene occurred at an oasis. A term used for a gas and food stop along the highways throughout the state of Illinois. I know as i am a lifelong Illinois resident. Still to this day an oasis contains various restaurants as well as gas stations.
The restaurant they are eating in is a Howard Johnson's. Where exactly I couldnt tell you but I would bet a wooden nickel its the des plaines oasis along Rt. 90 going into and about 20 miles from downtown chicago.

There was a scene like that in Inside Llewyn Davis where they are eating in a place & the highway was below. I think it was supposed to be Ohio.

People seem to respond to stars. Think of Thief as "Homicide: Life on the Streets" but with one source of musical inspiration.
"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

At one time in suburban Chicago (and possibly elsewhere on toll roads in Illinois) there were rest stops with cafes/McDonalds built on overpasses over the highway. I haven't driven through Illinois or Chicago in a couple of decades, but I distinctly remember stopping in one.
Every time I watch 'Thief' it strikes me that "Heat" is Mann's evolved, remake of "Thief".
"Thief" is a purer vision, but there are aspects of Heat that make it different. For one, the mob doesn't really factor into "Heat" DeNiro's crew gets ripped off on their bearer bond transaction, but that's just another dirty guy and not the mob per se. And the cops in Heat are essentially honest guys, not crooks, and have their own (thanks to Pacino) backstory. Val Kilmer's character seems to be another version of the Jim Belushi character but with a great deal more intensity and volatility.
There are a couple of scenes in "Heat" that seem an ode to "The Shooter" the scene involving the masive fuel tanks and the drive-in attempted doublecross.
I love both movies Thief is more introspective and Heat has an intensity level that few movies can match. It's getting hard to believe that "Heat" is nearly 20 years old.

Agree on all accounts. THIEF is a near-perfect example of neo-noir, with a script, direction, performances and overall "look" that few other crime films can match.
And that ending is SO damn satisfying.

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Yeah, except the diner scene in HEAT felt more stilted and pretentious and just moreI dunno, forced somehow. There's something over-deliberate about it. It practically screams, "Look, folks! Two 20th Century icons IN THE SAME MOVIE!"
THIEF is, for me anyway, the much better film.

sergeant urizzi cracks me up.
Aloha, Mr. Hand.

Great catches. Love this movie, as well as Mann's others. I like the shot of the car hood driving down the street (at night), very similiar to many shots on
Miami Vice
, the series.