Montreal seldom plays itself in Hollywood movies. This heist film is a rare exception. It makes the setting very explicit with the emphasis on the Old Town, with bits of the Plateau Mont Royal thrown in.
The mansion where Nick (Robert De Niro) is nearly caught during a burglary – Still searching for this location.
Nick’s workshop – 4579 Rue de la Roche, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nick changing cars – Parking lot at Parc de Dieppe, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nick coming home – Rue Saint-Paul Est at Rue du Marché-Bonsecours, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nick’s apartment – 266 Rue Saint-Paul Est, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The sign in the film shows “276”.
Nick’s club – 421 Rue Saint-Paul Est, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nick is accosted by Jack (Edward Norton) – Rue Saint-Paul Est at Rue du Marché-Bonsecours, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jack’s apartment – Still searching for this location. It’s probably on Plateau Mont-Royal.
The Customs House – 105 Rue McGill at Place d’Youville, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Erected in 1912, the Customs House is closely associated with the growth of Canadian trade during the first decade of the 20th century. The 1934-1936 addition consolidated services added to the Customs Department when its responsibilities were enlarged in 1916 with the introduction of direct taxation. The building is currently owned by Public Works Canada.
The Customs House’s back entrance – Rue Normand, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The tunnel entrance – Rue Wellington at Rue Murray, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jack distracts a policeman while Nick is coming out of the sewer – 248 Rue de la Montagne at Rue Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The corner building is the only one still standing, the adjacent blocks have recently been rebuilt.
Nick waiting for Jack in the car – Rue Saint-Paul Ouest looking at Rue McGill, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The hacker’s house – Still searching for this location.
Getting the access codes – Parc de Dieppe (formerly Parc de la Cité-du-Havre), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nick sees a barrel exploding – 272 Rue Queen, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nick meeting with Burt – Parking lot at Parc de Dieppe, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Max’s (Marlon Brando) house – 609 Avenue Carleton, Westmount, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jack leaving the Customs House after the heist – Rue Normand, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jack changing the clothes – the alley off Rue Ottawa between Rue Ann and Rue Dalhousie, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nick driving away after the heist – Rue Belmont, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He’s moving from Beaver Hall towards Boulevard Robert Bourassa.
Jack running – the railway tracks between Rue Mill and Bassin Windmill-Point, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The loading docks of the Port of Montreal are seen in the background.
Jack running to the bus station – Rue Commune at Quai de l’Horloge, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The building with a statue on top is the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel.
Jack in front of the bus station – Rue Port-de-Montreal at Quai de l’Horloge, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nick leaving on a boat – Plage de l’Horloge, Vieux Port de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nick meeting with Diane (Angela Bassett) – Passenger Terminal, Montréal-Mirabel International Airport, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Construction began in 1970, just as Montreal was awarded the right to host the 1976 Olympic Games. The airport’s grand opening took place on 4 October 1975. Mirabel was rather far from downtown Montreal. Anyone arriving into Mirabel from Europe would have to travel to Dorval, another Montreal airport, to connect to other cities in Canada and the USA, and vice versa. The bus transfer between airports was slow, almost always in heavy traffic. It made international airlines reluctant to serve the new airport.
By 1991, only 8 million people were using the airports in Montréal while over 18 million people were using Toronto. In 1997, Dorval was reopened to international flights but by this time, Vancouver and Calgary had overtaken Montreal in terms of passenger numbers. By 1999, most airlines had moved operations to Dorval which undergone a massive expansion project and was renamed Montréal Trudeau International Airport in January 2004. The last passenger flight from Mirabel was on 31 October 2004.
The terminal building was abandoned following the airport’s closure. In its final few months of operation, the terminal was used as a filming location for movies, TV series and commercials. 2004’s movie The Terminal was filmed there. The building was completely abandoned soon after and would stand derelict for 10 years. It was finally demolished in 2016.
Despite the terminal building being removed, the airport began to see a marked increase in business traffic. Manufacturing plants, cargo operations and aerospace companies were attracted to Mirabel. It has since become the city’s main business airport while Montréal Trudeau continues to operate as its passenger hub.
