Sneakers... Am I the only one who LOVED this??

Okay, so I just watched "Sneakers" (I know, I'm behind the times, lol) and I'm obsessed! I had NO idea Robert Redford was so good at this sort of thing, and the whole crew was just...oddly charming? Like, yeah, they're stealing and stuff, but they're doing it with SO much style and dorkiness, it was awesome. I especially loved River Phoenix's character, Carl. He was like, the perfect awkward genius. And Sidney Poitier being all serious and then cracking jokes was just chef's kiss. But here's my question: Did anyone else think the whole 'set up' by the government was a LITTLE convoluted? Like, they needed to steal this crazy-powerful codebreaker from a super genius, but couldn’t just... ask nicely? Or, you know, use their own resources? It felt like a really elaborate scheme to get these guys involved, and I'm still not entirely sure why they couldn't just trust them in the first place. Also, that scene with the blind guy, Whistler, 'seeing' Mary McDonnell - seriously, how did they pull that off? Was that REALLY acting? It felt so genuine and creepy, but also kinda sweet? Anyway, I really enjoyed it and I am curious if it holds up for everyone else, and if the convoluted plot hurt their enjoyment or not! Anyone else have some thoughts on this sleeper hit? Let me know!