No way would the computer nerd(s) have stood up to questioning. Any decent detective would have tracked the hacked codes of 'Ironclad Security' back to the two cyber geeks, he would then split them in two, telling them that they face 20 years in prison. One or both would have cracked, giving up De Niro for a shorter sentence.
Otherwise, this was a enjoyable caper flick.
LOL. . .and how do you figure they could "track the hacked codes?"
No. Just. . .No. Even if they did somehow get to De Niro, how on earth would they prove he did the job?
No.
The detectives wouldn't need to track the codes. They WOULD investigate Ironclad and it's employees for a inside job thing.
I figure that this investigation would most likely yield fruit. The company is probably run/ started by someone smarter than the nerd who stole the codes. The CEO would cooperate with the feds.
The name of the possible inside guy would be tailed until the cops had enough info to bring him in.
From the way he handled the exchange, I figure he would crack like a egg upon hearing that he is looking at 20+.
The Ironclad inside guy would then lead detectives to the basement cyberpunk..who would then spill the beans on the entire scam...with the addition of Jacks's (Ed Norton's) flipping, it's a pretty strong case against Nick.
I admit that this scenario might take many months to unfold and if one of the dominoes doesn't fall it won't happen.
Yikes. . .
No idea what your IT background is, but. . .nah.
No hacker worth his salt is gonna get caught that way; no matter how "smart" the CEO is, or how much he cooperates. If you remember, the guy who granted access described it as "his system." It just wouldn't happen.
BUT: for the sake, let's say they did squeeze him. And let's say they did >somehow< manage to then get to De Niro's hacker (??? They wouldn't. No link). And let's say they Did knock on De Niro's door.
So what?
HOW do you prove he did the heist? (Hint: you couldn't. Re-watch the end of the movie; they actually explain this explicitly).
Nah.
Good news is: you get to watch the flick again, to check all this!!!
A detective background would be more important.
Nick would be f***** because, they would have the flipped testimony of three people. Norton, Cyberpunk basement guy, Ironclad software guy. They would give testimony to lower sentences.
The detectives would know it's part inside job...so if Ironclad sub contacted it to one person or only one person could do it....well... he would be a the main suspect! All the easier for the cops.
The Ironclad guy would be sweating his balls off if brought in. And while smart, he is no poker player. Montreal would put it's best detectives on the case and crack him easily. If he didn't immediately crack he would do something stupid that would implicate him.
The Ironclad insider facing 20+ years would get in touch with basement cyberpunk guy with another flame war. The detectives would trace the link to his house...the kid who lives with his mom would flip in a heartbeat.
You also have to remember that detectives most likely have Norton's story, so they already know some important stuff.
It would be a pretty good sequel...I don't think that has ever been done before.
Part I- Theives
Part II - Detectives
DeNiro could do a cameo in the end.
Trying to say this as gently as possible: your theories are based on a fuzzy recollection of the movie, and a fuzzier perception of how the real world works.
1) There's no "tracking" possible. . .not sure what you even mean by that. The company IT guy essentially sold access to the hacker. That's NOT traceable. Full stop.
2) Even if they suspect it's an inside job, and start hitting the guy w/phone books in a darkened room, he has NO reason to say anything. There's simply no way to prove anything. Nothing in the movie indicated he was a complete idiot, which he would have to be to start blabbing.
3) There's NO WAY even if he did talk, to then get to De Niro's guy. THEY HAD NO LINK. He had no way to even get in touch w/him, and never met him, and had no idea who he was. De Niro employed cut-outs to do the deal (essentially for this Very Reason).
4) Most importantly: If a prophet descended from the mountaintop and gave the cops a tablet w/De Niro's name and address, IT STILL WOULDN'T MATTER. There is absolutely ZERO evidence that ties him to the crime. I'll repeat: this is stated *explicitly*, at the end of the movie. It's the last thing he says to Norton, in response to that disgruntled threat of "burning" him.
Endof. De Niro simply does Not get caught, no way, no how.
The key scene in this movie.
https://youtu.be/odEociFdDN4
You are trying to convince me that THAT guy won't crack under pressure? That is a bad read.
That scene is all you need to know about the mental toughness of the IT guy.
And to save his skin, he will get in touch with cyberpunk basement guy...who will lead to Nick.
Oh an by the way the detectives KNOW the whole score because Norton's character sang like a canary to reduce his sentence/look better at parole board hearings.
Good grief. . .
What part don't you get?
He met NORTON in the park. What could he tell the police? "I gave a stranger access codes in a park; he gave them to someone else"???
He CAN'T get in touch w/the cyberpunk basement guy. THERE'S NO WAY. De Niro made sure of it.
AND.
Even if the cops *did* somehow make it to De Niro (no idea why you think they caught Norton. . .the movie heavily implies the opposite). . .THERE'S NO WAY TO LINK HIM TO THE CRIME.
So no. . .they have no way to find De Niro. And even if they DID (they couldn't); They Can't Prove ANYTHING. There is absolutely *nothing* to prove he had anything to do with the theft.
No idea why any of this is so difficult to understand. . .
The Ironclad IT guy DID communicate with the cyberpunk several times before the exchange!
To think that such a computer nerd would not be able to again is the weak point in your thinking.
Facing 20+ years, and since the cyberpunk still lives with his mom, uses the same computer..the IT guy would be highly motivated to find him again.
Since animosity exists between them,the basement cyberpunk would most likely respond.
And unless Norton's character knows of a good place to have a face transplant (his picture is all over media) I don't think he got away.
Again, not sure what your knowledge base is, but you're simply wrong. And you're misremembering the sequence of events.
The company guy caught the hacker trying to break into the system, sent him an "uh-uh," and offered to sell him the access. At which point the hacker disconnected and contacted De Niro w/the offer.
The only connection after that happened in the park.
To somehow suggest that the company IT guy could still find the hacker means you simply don't get how such systems work. (Hint: he *couldn't*).
Norton was obviously exiting the city/country, starting on that bus we see at the end. Unless you think he was a complete idiot. . .because The Plan All Along meant that his face would be known. CLEARLY, he had an exit strategy, with this in mind.
All of which STILL doesn't address the most important point: De Niro is isolated. He Doesn't Get Caught. What's the proof he had ANYTHING to do with Any of it?
(Hint: there Is none.)
Didn't the IT guy type "Nothing is free asshole" to the hacker?
They then typed a back an forth argument?
Since the basement cyberpunk is static, and Montreal would hire the best computer scientist... alongside the flipped IT guys help, they could to a post mortem on that.
Like I said: that's not how computers work. That's ESPECIALLY not how things work if your entire existence is built around hacking. . .there are countless ways to make sure no-one can track you back to where you are. It's kind of the Whole Point Of Who He Was. . .
Regardless, you steadfastly refuse to see/acknowledge the final point, which speaks directly to your OP. NO, De Niro's character wouldn't be caught. Even if it's an alternate universe where computers work differently than in real life, there's just NO evidence to be used against him. Period.
Well this is where we differ....
It is a communication...it can be tracked and or dicected by experts...you do not think so, fine. The FBI catches loads of criminals who think their communications are secure and encrypted.
The basement cyberpunk is not Einstein...he is just a kid who lives with his mom and loves video games...odds are that he made a mistake and computer experts smarter than him could find where he lives, or bait him into reveling himself.
Even if the communication ends up being untraceable, a good detective would have a CI (confidential informant) that knows about the hacking community, or a local hacker and can put out lines looking for him. The basement cyberpunk's immaturity was shown in the film, and he is not above bragging about it to his peers.
You can put your chips in the kid, and I will take the flipped IT guy and the finest computer experts Montreal can outsource, and the best detective in Montreal.
It's not a matter of "differing." It's a matter of how things work. If you aren't willing to learn that your conception is simply wrong, then this is a useless conversation. Your scenarios of "computer experts" finding or somehow "baiting" him (???) are simply not possible. Endof.
And for the umpteenth time, you ignore the bottom line: NONE of this would lead to De Niro's character getting banged up. Which is what, ultimately, this convo is all about.
How would they know about DeNiro's cyber geek if the Ironclad employee never talks? This all depends on the detectives believing that an Ironclad employee willingly gave the hacker the codes or figuring out which employee it is. The employee could just say we were hacked and they stole the codes without us knowing. Seems to happen all the time and hackers are not tracked down. The detectives would also have to locate and figure out which employee it is. We have no idea how big Ironclad is. This company could house thousands of employees. Unless the employee, who doesn't seem to be an idiot, puts the payment directly into his bank account, how do you find out it was him? The employee doesn't seem like someone who would so easily crack under pressure as he extorts 50k from the thieves.
The theory is plausible, but not likely.
I think the Ironclad guy is the weak link.
"The we just got hacked" thing would be viewed with suspicion.
Such a high profile case, Ironclad would be facing insolvency. The CEO would call for a independent analysis of what happened.
Added to this, ace insurance investigators would be all over the place trying to crack this case.
I think your also forgetting that Norton's character was most likely caught... facing 20+ years he will tell detectives everything he knows to reduce it... including his knowledge of what the Ironclad guy looks like.
You can go ahead and put your chips on the amateur Ironclad dork...I will put mine on Montreal's finest.
I think that's a far fetched assumption since we know practically nothing about the employee other than he has enough guts to extort 50k from thieves and is intelligent enough to catch a hacker. Maybe he is also smart enough to cover his tracks and thwart the independent analysis.
In the end it doesn't matter though because DeNiro gets wind of the investigation and slips out of town easily and is never found.
We know how he acted during the exchange, which says much. (I put a scene link on the post above)
Norton's comment "Who makes a exchange in a public place?" Confirms that he is a amateur. Also his demeanor strongly implies that he would crack or do something that would implacate himself further once he knows detectives are watching.
A face and Interpol is a great tool.
Anyway a sequel would be great.
In 2001 its is highly unlikely the investigation would lead to De Niro.
In 2020 the cops have a new knowledge, IT backgrounds, darkweb access etc. They can ever trace a google search you did in 2008..
Well let's leave it on friendly terms...we both loved this movie.
A sequel would be great!
Good points. I agree.
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