The Gentleman Thief

I remember it well. It was one of those adaptations, rather like the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes, where you wonder if the film-makers have read any of the stories or know anything of the character at all. It stinks, really stinks. It is embarrassingly bad in fact. It was obviously designed as a pilot for a possible series but was so bad it never went any further. Nigel Havers is miscast but does his best with the risible dialogue & story. Everyone else involved was quite simply appalling.

It remains a mystery why producers think they can improve upon a classic. Be wary of changing something unless what you're changing it for is as good, or better, than the original. If not, stick to what's written. It is a classic for a reason.

Raffles is back on our screens at last! I re-watched this entertaining period drama on BBC4 a few days ago. Nigel Havers is well cast giving a likable performance as our hero although has relatively little to work with script wise. Having said that, the awkward inter-class chemistry with Michael French's character is captured perfectly and offers an interesting new duo dynamic, contrasting with rather obvious repartee between the thief and his previous partner Harry 'Bunny' Manders in Anthony Valentine's days.

Locations are used to great effect, the opening scene's setting effectively evoking the atmosphere of the period. Though overall the production seems to be fairly low budget by today's standards, it is still a stylish leap forward from the 1977 series. Having said that, The Gentleman Thief pays less heed to Hornung's original source material than the original series and the appearance of some Bondian gadgets are rather cliché. I would forgive the film this however, if it acted as a pilot to a future series rather than a standalone production. The calibre of the actors involved and the general tone of the piece would allow for some excellent developments if further instalments were added. In isolation however the film doesn't quite satisfy fans of the books or the Valentine series, but it does provide an hour of solid entertainment with a certain amount of flair.

E. W. Hornung was the brother-in-law of Arthur Conan Doyle...the man who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories. Interestingly, Hornung also wrote detective stories but with an anti-hero, the gentleman thief, A. J. Raffles. I am somewhat of an expert on Holmes, having read all of the original stories...but Raffles? No, I've never read any of the stories and only saw a few movies they've made over the years. So this review is NOT from anyone who will spot flaws in the characterization...I'm just not that well educated on the character.

In this story, Nigel Havers ably plays Raffles. He is an upper class Brit who loves to steal...mostly from people he thinks deserve it. In the case of this story, Monty Sinclair is upper class...technically speaking. But he's a classless jerk who, in Raffles' mind, deserves to be taken. In this case, Sinclair owns an enormous ruby...and Raffles intends to rid him of it. But there are serious complications...and Raffles might just have to change his plans for the ruby.

This is a very enjoyable film and I liked Havers in the lead. However, I also think the film was missing something...such as a neat sidekick like in the "Campion" series. Still, it's worth your time and is reasonably well made.

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

Sometimes,a lot of the higher quality square screened entertainment cannot be found at the cinema or on video,but comes from the vaults of that fine production team working behind a BBC drama.Truly any newcoming RADA trained actor can express their talents in a minimally commercialised way in this low budget but genuinely satisfying way.Gentleman Thief is a fine example of this working,a campy,slightly flawed but nonetheless involving and highly entertaining costume drama set around about the Victorian era.There are fine performances to be enjoyed from all concerned,especially Nigel Havers and Michael French,whose chemistry works best at the end during the prison intrusion sequence,and Justin Hardy's direction guides it along with impressive timing.At times ,certain plot elements don't quite glue together the way they should,and in a way that doesn't hold your attention,but if you let it demand your attention enough,it shows you needn't trek out to find something to watch,and which will only add to the bill of your TV license.***