...but yes, actually, that 'against the odds' thing is right. One of the things that makes Mona Lisa such a good film is that the story is as old as the hills but it feels really new
never trust a man in a blue trench coat, never drive a car when you're dead
I've probably seen LGF half a dozen times, never get tired of it. It's right up there with The Grifters and The Usual Suspects in the honor among thieves genre.
As far as Hoskins, he was also great in Last Orders.