So dead is the art of clever wordplay that we can even forgive a movie like "Heist" and its many implausibilities simply because its dialogue is so much smarter than what we're used to.

Of course, given that the screenwriter is filmmaker and playwright David Mamet, much of that dialogue is also peppered with four-letter words. (His G-rated adaptation of "The Winslow Boy" and the PG "Spanish Prisoner" seem to be the only aberrations in his long and storied career.)

And as clever as "Heist" is at times, it often seems to outsmart itself — that is, there's at least one plot twist (and character twist) too many, and too many scenes rely on contrivances that strain credibility.

But there's no denying that Mamet's wordsmithing is at a premium here. In fact, his script is so full of quip-filled one-liners that at times you may have a hard time catching — or comprehending — them all.

For those wondering, the resemblances between this film and this past summer's "The Score" are purely superficial, even if both are about an aging crook who is pressured into masterminding One Last Big Score.

In "Heist," that person is Joe Moore (Gene Hackman), who is worrying that time is running out for him — especially after he's caught on tape committing a jewel theft (although he and his accomplices got away).

Believing that this is a sign of things to come, Joe plans to retire from The Business and simply sail away to a tropical island with his wife and frequent co-conspirator, Fran (Mamet's real-life wife, Rebecca Pidgeon). Unfortunately, his employer (Danny DeVito) is insisting that he won't pay Joe or his crew for their "services rendered" unless they agree to steal a shipment of Swiss gold.

So Joe starts putting together a foolproof plan. But for this crime, he'll have to take along a new partner — his employer's nephew, Jimmy Silk (Sam Rockwell), who believes that Joe is past his prime. Jimmy also seems to have designs on Joe's wife.

As with most of Mamet's works, when this one crackles, it really crackles, with a liveliness missing from most like-minded films. However, as director he makes a few filmmaking mistakes that detract from the whole, such as his lethargic pacing and punchless approach to the action scenes.

Similarly problematic is casting Pidgeon as a tough-talking moll when she's all wrong for the part (she lacks the sexiness that role entails and has no real chemistry with Hackman).

Hackman, though, is as strong as ever, and his on-screen relationship with underused Delroy Lindo is a cinematic goldmine that should be further explored in the future.

"Heist" is rated R for frequent use of strong profanity, violence (gunplay, beatings and violence against women), brief gore, scattered use of racial epithets and some crude slang terms and brief drugs (use of a tranquilizer). Running time: 109 minutes.

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