Early on in the film Burt Reynolds does a
short Cary Grant impersonation to ingratiate himself with a beautiful woman.
At the time you think it is just a throwaway moment - Reynolds on full charm
offensive for the woman but for the audience as well - but by the end you
realize it was a wink at us - a homage of sorts to the type of film that
Grant could carry off so well. If this had been made thirty years earlier
in 1950 it might very well have starred Grant or perhaps the co-star in this
one, David Niven. With perhaps Ingrid Bergman or Sophia Loren. A gentleman's
caper where the charm and fashions are layered on thick. And the people are
beautiful. We get Lesley-Anne Down instead of Ingrid or Sophia. Not a bad
swap. I had forgotten just how lovely she was at the time when she was on
a nice streak of films - The Great Train Robbery, Hanover Street and Sphinx.
I lost track of her after that but she is still in the game and fairly busy.
Rough cut applies to the diamonds because there is nothing rough about the
film. It is as smooth and easy as melting butter. One punch is thrown I believe.
Considering that the director is Don Siegel that might be surprising. He
had been making tough gritty action films since the early 1950's with Dirty
Harry among his best known but many others that have a good reputation. This
was to be his second to last film. I wonder why. So no rough stuff here.
Just a con upon a con upon a con. Nicely done. Clever in its way. Gillian
("that comes after billion?") is being pressured by Inspector Willis (Niven)
to lay a trap for Rhodes (Reynolds) with $30 million in diamonds being the
enticement. Of course, she falls for the hunky Rhodes - they sizzle like
a night at Smith and Wollensky. The main tension in the film is wondering
when they will hit the sheets. Which is the main problem with the film as
pleasant as it is - for a heist film there is really no tension - I mean
zero. It all feels very predictable - even the supposed twist at the end.
But Reynolds gives the audience both barrels of his trademark charm here
and it works. And Lesley-Anne throbs with sex appeal and a million dollar
smile. Reynolds is no Cary Grant but he gives it his best shot. A good
date video.
