Life is stranger than fiction. But fiction always has a desire to replay life’s strangest moments. They go hand in hand. This is certainly the case with the Antwerp diamond heist from 2003. More than $100 million in diamonds were stolen from the Antwerp World Diamond Centre in Belgium. Most recently, this daring robbery was revisited in Gerard Butler’sDen of Thieves 2: Pantera. This cinematic take on the real-world event takes a step further and brings the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, as well as the mafia, into the mix. The sequel to the 2018 crime film also did well enough to garner a sequel as well as spinoffs that will take place in different parts of the world. While the excitement is definitely there, interested viewers should know that another feature from two years ago also took a look at “the heist of the century.”
Exchanging the action for comedy but leaving plenty of moments for edge-of-your-seat drama,Everybody Loves Diamondsis undoubtedly a must-seePrime Videoshow for fans of the heist drama. American audiences might not know the faces behind such names as Kim Rossi Stuart, Anna Foglietta, and Johan Heldenbergh, but that will no longer be the case after they watch the eight episodes that make up the miniseries.
Stuart plays Leonardo Notarbartolo, the notorious and sly mastermind behind the whole operation (this is also the name of the real culprit). Foglietta plays Anna, who is Leonardo’s wife, an emotional woman who, surprisingly, always has a trick up her sleeve to gain the upper hand. Heldenbergh steps into the shoes of Albert Mertens, the chief of the Diamond Police, and is very disgruntled by the fact that such a heist has to take place just before he can peacefully retire.Everybody Loves Diamondsmight not have the violence or gunfire, but the constant deception and trickery surely make up for it. Oh, and it’s much more accurate.
‘Everybody Loves Diamonds’ Is More Accurate Than Den of Thieves 2
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
One pivotal difference betweenDen of Thieves 2: PanteraandEverybody Loves Diamondsis found in the story progression. While the American spin on Antwerp is quite linear and follows one timeline (Nick and Donnie’s burglary as well as the aftermath), the preceding Italian narration quickly weaves through different points in time, connecting the pieces slowly but in an entertaining fashion.
In just one episode, we see two different versions of Leonardo: one who is trying to convince others to join his biggest thieving crusade yet, and another (far off in the future) who is in a jail cell, trying to find out who betrayed him. This is constantly the case, with every episode makingthe time gapssmaller and smaller until everything comes together in a suspense-filled finale. When there are mysteries for the audience to figure out (on top ofa thrilling heist),the overall story just becomes that much more captivating.
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While it is severely underlooked,Everybody Loves Diamondsis just more accurate to real events thanDen of Thieves 2. The hour-long entries showed how much time was needed for such a heist to take place, how Leonardo perfected his fake merchant persona, and how Sandra (Leonardo’s niece) practiced with a full-scale copy of the vault door. The writers of the show also brought the receipt that led to the initial arrest into play and how most of the safe deposit boxes were opened, but not all. On top of all that, the safehouse (in the form of an apartment) was also highlighted.
‘Everybody Loves Diamonds’ Also Pays Homage
These meticulous but precise nods were only made possible because of the medium that was used — a television series — where running time isn’t an issue. The similarity doesn’t end there. Nick, Donnie, and the rest of The Panthers are undoubtedly intimidating menaces, but Stuart’seerily similar depictionof Notarbartolo (who was supposedly a master social manipulator) paints a clearer picture of the real-life perpetrator.It’s evident that American audiences need high-octane action in their productions, but seeing deception at play is just as engrossing if done right.
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Admittedly, some of the dialogue between the main charactersmight be a bit cheesy at times. This can be seen when Leonardo is excruciatingly begging for his wife to come back or when Judith, the diamond center director, becomes romantically involved with him. For those that are not too affected by these over-the-top dialogue depictions, these moments turn this underrated series into aremembrance of films from Italy’s past, like 1965’sBig Deal on Madonna Streetor 1966’sHow We Robbed the Bank of Italy.
You could say thatEverybody Loves Diamondsthen becomes a fusion between the past and the present, both in story and in style. These choices certainly elevate it above and beyondDen of Thieves 2. If you want to see a small-screen portrayal of the Antwerp diamond heist for yourself (arguably better),Everybody Loves Diamondsis currently available to stream onPrime Video.Den of Thieves 2: Panterais streaming onNetflix.
