SMASH AND GRAB: THE STORY OF THE PINK PANTHERS by Havana Marking

Diamond heists and jewel thieves have been the subject of films since its early days. Yet, they have arguably never been portrayed as faithfully and as rewardingly as in Havana Marking’s latest work. Smash and Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers, which had its Irish premiere at the Irish Film Institute’s Stranger than Fiction Documentary Film Festival is insightful and digs deep within the figure of the criminal as well as the reasons behind its lifestyle choices and the consequences of its decisions.

It is the story of the famous organised Balkan ring of diamond thieves from who are responsible for over five hundred robberies to the value of over three hundred million dollars. Their heists reputation antics not only won them a spot on Interpol’s most wanted list but also the attention of newspapers around the world. In return, they ‘amicably awarded’ them the name The Pink Panthers, a particularly suited christening not only due to the affiliations with the criminal business but also because of the cinematic implications it carries.

This is a factor that Havana Marking herself did not disregard, but rather decided to use to her advantage. After all, there had been rumours about a Leonardo di Caprio starring film about the Panthers being in the making before she had made her documentary. It comes as no surprise, hence, that Danny Boyle has recently announced his own plans of making a film version of Smash and Grab.

The film kicks off with archive footage that show an example of their movielike tactics as they make a crashing entrance into the scene of their robbery by driving their Audi right into a shopping centre in Dubai. Later on, a Spanish heist is explained and the plan closely resembles the scheme set up by the hopeless saps of Mario Monicelli’s classic Big Deal on Madonna Street. Not to mention that the pricelessly insightful interviews from two of the Panthers reveal a world of ambiguous characters living in the shadows, beautiful femme fatales and even a characteristic weapon of choice – a hammer.

Marking uses all this by building the film as less of a documentary and more of an entertaining modern noir. She also uses a stylistic and imaginative approach to bring the story on the big screen by using a trendy mixture of archive footage, interviews and animation. Her use of animation is particularly interesting, as it provides a creative contrast with the freer nature of the documentary genre. This mixture is what makes Smash and Grab feel fresh and accessible to a broader audience.

However, much like her previous work, it is also quite a rewarding story of character study. Much like her acclaimed previous work Afghan Star, Marking seems preoccupied with geographical and socio-political influence on the lives of her subjects. This also makes for quite rewarding conclusions on the general figure of the criminal, seen from a more unique human angle. On the other hand, it is equally rewarding to see Marking never look at them sympathetically, and as she digs deeper she discovers frustration and unhappiness behind their story.