The formula here is simple. Two friends plan a heist while falling for the same girl. The heist goes bad, one ends up in jail and the other ends up with the girl, until the other can exact his revenge.
Claude Lelouch wrote a wonderful script here, full of heart and humor. The movie showcases the talents of Peter Falk, and that's hard to do with so much talent.
While the film was hardly original,it always brings me such a great feeling. You are, as are those up on the screen, conflicted. Who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys?
When presented with only bad guys, such a French thing to do, who is the most virtuous? Had the other man ended up in custody, would he have behaved in such a loyal and gracious manner?
That's what this film is, a good hearted, seemingly light. Nick (Falk) and his buddy Charlie, played well by Charles Durning, attempt a robbery of a Harry Winston location in a little city by the sea.
Nick provides the front work, dressing in costume to set up the manager of the store. Nick lays all the groundwork, but Charlie is the experienced crook. Charlie is the one who empties the shelves and decides what the haul is to consist of, and drives the getaway vehicle.
The first 60% of the movie involves Falk setting up the store with a series of disguises and false identities designed to put the jewelry store manager at ease so he will let his guard down at the crucial time.
Nick meets a girl, of course, who seems wise to, but undeterred by his plans.
Everything is going great, Charlie has everything ready, the love interest is waiting for Nick at the getaway. And Nick and Charlie execute this perfectly impossible robbery, until...
So as the formula goes, whether its the jewels or the plasmids a mistake is made at a crucial point, and Nick gets caught.
Charlie and the girl do not, of course, and Falk is in for a long prison term.
The story doesn't end there. And there is a satisfying twist, but Ill leave that on the screen for you to discover.
The Grifters, which came out just three years later, had similar subject matter, and was a great film. But if you agree with me in my assessment of the Grifters being a great movie, then you will very much like this movie, and have a good feeling to boot.
Claude Lelouch wrote a wonderful script here, full of heart and humor. The movie showcases the talents of Peter Falk, and that's hard to do with so much talent.
While the film was hardly original,it always brings me such a great feeling. You are, as are those up on the screen, conflicted. Who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys?
When presented with only bad guys, such a French thing to do, who is the most virtuous? Had the other man ended up in custody, would he have behaved in such a loyal and gracious manner?
That's what this film is, a good hearted, seemingly light. Nick (Falk) and his buddy Charlie, played well by Charles Durning, attempt a robbery of a Harry Winston location in a little city by the sea.
Nick provides the front work, dressing in costume to set up the manager of the store. Nick lays all the groundwork, but Charlie is the experienced crook. Charlie is the one who empties the shelves and decides what the haul is to consist of, and drives the getaway vehicle.
The first 60% of the movie involves Falk setting up the store with a series of disguises and false identities designed to put the jewelry store manager at ease so he will let his guard down at the crucial time.
Nick meets a girl, of course, who seems wise to, but undeterred by his plans.
Everything is going great, Charlie has everything ready, the love interest is waiting for Nick at the getaway. And Nick and Charlie execute this perfectly impossible robbery, until...
So as the formula goes, whether its the jewels or the plasmids a mistake is made at a crucial point, and Nick gets caught.
Charlie and the girl do not, of course, and Falk is in for a long prison term.
The story doesn't end there. And there is a satisfying twist, but Ill leave that on the screen for you to discover.
The Grifters, which came out just three years later, had similar subject matter, and was a great film. But if you agree with me in my assessment of the Grifters being a great movie, then you will very much like this movie, and have a good feeling to boot.