cgvsluis
Joined May 2015
Welcome to the new profile
We're still working on updating some profile features. To see the badges, ratings breakdowns, and polls for this profile, please go to the previous version.
Reviews1.7K
cgvsluis's rating
Shirley MacLaine was a big hit at the time this film was made, but this is Michael Caine's first American film and he actually was MacLaine's suggestion for this film. This ends up being an excellent choice as the two are surprisingly wonderful together. And in an effort to continue the praise I am heaping on Shirley MacLaine...I also have to appreciate her for a directorial decision that I understand was her suggestion as well...to have her character be silent for the first thirty minutes of this film. It works so well and is incredibly clever.
I have never seen a heist film told in this fashion and it was a delightful and entertaining surprise. Caine plays a British character named Harold "Harry" Dean and see a showgirl in Hong Kong who is perfect for an international heist he is planning. He brings his partner, a Frenchman named Emile (John Abbott), to the club where she works and introduces the two. They then offer her a job for which she will get a passport and be paid $5,000 American dollars.
The next thing we see is Shirley's character dressed in Asian garb and made up to look like the deceased wife of the wealthiest and most elusive man in the world, Mr. Ahmed Shahbandar. She disembarks a plane in the Middle East with Harry Dean and he introduces them as Sir Harry and his wife Lady Dean. (In reality Shirley's character is actually Nicole Cheng and she has a Canadian mother and a Eurasian father.) With the help of Lady Dean, Harry pulls off what just might appear to be the perfect crime and all of this occurs without a peep out of Nicole.
But then we see everything again from the scene where Harry approaches Nicole at her place of work, but this time with Nicole talking...and talking, and things don't go quite as smoothly as we had seen.
"You do look like a crook."-Miss Chang
"It's not a tip, it's a bribe."-Harold
"Your mind is always going off on some tangent...It's driving me around the bloody bend."-Harry
"Will you stop asking questions!"-Harry "It's only human to ask questions, Harry."-Nicole "Yes, We'll if you ask me, you are far too human."-Harry
"Rule of thumb, always read both sides."-Harry
"Something else going wrong, Harry?"-Nicole "No no."-Harry "Then why are you standing there looking like a basset hound?"-Nicole
There are two very clever and funny endings to this film and I highly recommend it to heist film fans, Michael Caine Fans, Shirley MacLaine fans and fans of a cleverly told story. Great dialogue along with fun sets and costumes round out this very fun film that you should absolutely seek out to watch. (The whole bedroom went up one floor to the roof with its gorgeous view and helicopter.) I was lucky to catch it on TCM's almost perfect crime night and I couldn't be happier.
I have never seen a heist film told in this fashion and it was a delightful and entertaining surprise. Caine plays a British character named Harold "Harry" Dean and see a showgirl in Hong Kong who is perfect for an international heist he is planning. He brings his partner, a Frenchman named Emile (John Abbott), to the club where she works and introduces the two. They then offer her a job for which she will get a passport and be paid $5,000 American dollars.
The next thing we see is Shirley's character dressed in Asian garb and made up to look like the deceased wife of the wealthiest and most elusive man in the world, Mr. Ahmed Shahbandar. She disembarks a plane in the Middle East with Harry Dean and he introduces them as Sir Harry and his wife Lady Dean. (In reality Shirley's character is actually Nicole Cheng and she has a Canadian mother and a Eurasian father.) With the help of Lady Dean, Harry pulls off what just might appear to be the perfect crime and all of this occurs without a peep out of Nicole.
But then we see everything again from the scene where Harry approaches Nicole at her place of work, but this time with Nicole talking...and talking, and things don't go quite as smoothly as we had seen.
"You do look like a crook."-Miss Chang
"It's not a tip, it's a bribe."-Harold
"Your mind is always going off on some tangent...It's driving me around the bloody bend."-Harry
"Will you stop asking questions!"-Harry "It's only human to ask questions, Harry."-Nicole "Yes, We'll if you ask me, you are far too human."-Harry
"Rule of thumb, always read both sides."-Harry
"Something else going wrong, Harry?"-Nicole "No no."-Harry "Then why are you standing there looking like a basset hound?"-Nicole
There are two very clever and funny endings to this film and I highly recommend it to heist film fans, Michael Caine Fans, Shirley MacLaine fans and fans of a cleverly told story. Great dialogue along with fun sets and costumes round out this very fun film that you should absolutely seek out to watch. (The whole bedroom went up one floor to the roof with its gorgeous view and helicopter.) I was lucky to catch it on TCM's almost perfect crime night and I couldn't be happier.
