Crime isn't what it used to be. Not in this age of computers. Reese (Donald Sutherland), a clever civil engineer with a yen for the good life, asks his buddy Norman (Paul Mazursky), a computer expert, to join him in a robbery of a new bank that has an electronically controlled security system. At the construction site of the building, Reese steals the blueprints of the place. But as he is leaving, he is photographed by Stacy (Brooke Adams), a commercial photographer. While trying to get the pictures back, he falls in love with her. This new development sends Norman up the wall. As if he doesn't have enough to worry about with his wife walking out on him!
A Man, A Woman and A Bank is a snappy, imaginative, and engaging caper movie. Director Noel Black (Pretty Poison) makes excellent use of Vancouver where the story is set and Macao where Reese finds a man to launder the expected $4 million windfall. The screenplay is a sophisticated blend of comedy, camraderie, and romance. Reese's love affair with Stacy lights up the screen with an erotic glow. At the same time, the banter and war of nerves zipping back and forth between Reese and Norman is hilarious. Mazursky deserves to be up for a Best Supporting Actor consideration at next year's Academy Awards for this performance. He's the biggest worry-wart to grace the screen in many a year — complaining about his wife, his sex life, his health, and his future. Even the minor characters in this movie are notable. Leigh Hamilton as Norman's sexy date who has a penchant for game show hosts steals the scenes from everyone when she demonstrates the difference between Robert Redford and Jack Nicholson's kissing techniques. Allan Magicovsky is convincing as Stacy's jilted lover — an artist who doesn't want to be let go. A Man, A Woman and A Bank packs a surprise that fits this delightful movie to a T.