In 2004, an unlikely band of college students attempted an outrageous heist of rare books (including original copies of Audubon’s “Birds of America”) from a university library. Inspired by the larcenies they’d witnessed on screen, they planned for months. What happened — and, arguably, didn’t happen — is the focus of this white-knuckle fictional caper film, directed with colorful verve by Bart Layton (The Imposter, T/F 2012). The acting is impeccable, but what truly sets the movie apart is that we also meet the actual young men (now older, of course) and hear the story through their not-always-reliable recollections — a strategy that only amplifies the tension. In what’s sure to be one of the most talked-about movies of the year, Layton manages both a satisfying narrative conclusion and insights into the true gulf between the movies and real life. (DW)