Sidney Lumet's crime drama sees Sean Connery, helped by some notable eccentrics, set out to burgle a luxury apartment block, unaware that his every move is under surveillance from various law enforcement agencies. The implicit ironies - that the agents can't see the larger picture of a major robbery for all their attention to the smaller details - are never quite forged into the intended satire, but Lumet does manage to achieve a certain sarcastic humour. Martin Balsam is outstanding as a flauntingly gay antiques dealer, Christopher Walken makes one of his first major film appearances and The Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch Margaret Hamilton appears in one of her final roles.

Thief Duke Anderson—just released from ten years in jail—takes up with his old girlfriend in her posh apartment block, and makes plans to rob the entire building. What he doesn't know is that his every move is being recorded on audio and video, although he is not the subject of any surveillance.