User Reviews

In his Oscar nominated makeup, Peter Falk looks like both Grandpa Munster and Mrs. Doubtfire, playing fictional brother and sister who utilize the illness of the fictional brother's wife to set up the robbery of a posh jewelry store. With the security tag of "Harry Winston", pretentious jewelry store owner Tom Courtney opens and closes the safe through the security phone system, and Falk figures out through continued visits the cleverest of ways to rob him. Beloved character actor Charles Durning is his partner in crime, posing as his chauffeur, and Wendy Hughes is delightfully sweet and beautiful as the antique store who falls in love with him.

With a delightful setup, a rather sweet nature to a crime caper story, some good background music (both original and vintage), this is enjoyable from start to finish, and Falk and Durning are terrific as partners. Too bad they didn't become the next Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.

Some gorgeous European location footage adds to the charm of a story where you really root for thieves. While the makeup may look artificial in standards of more than 30 years later, Falk creates great characterizations with the two personas he creates, and his old lady, with a bit of a continental flavor to her, gets some terrific lines that adds wit and intelligence to the script. For some reason, I've overlooked this one over the years, so if you've picked it up off the video store shelf then put it back, you might reconsider it. It is a completely charming delight.

This is so watchable than its original Claude Lelouch's (La Bonne Année - 1973). It has its simplicity, yet it's more attractive and suave.

(Peter Falk) added a certain flavor to the role. After so many years in Lt. Columbo's coat in the TV, he dedicated to keep the same wittiness yet as a thief, hustler, gangster in the movies (The Brink's Job, Big Trouble, Vibes, Cookie..). He brought so much charisma and talent into it, which reminded me of the kind of roles that (Humphrey Bogart) would have played if he lived longer. His best scenes were the ones with the female lead, where his glamour was all over the screen to the extent that he needed no talking at all to express. (Wendy Hughes) wasn't up to all of this, not to mention a slight of silliness in her present apart, lacking any possible chemistry between her and (Falk). (Tom Courtenay) is a great actor, giving a great appeal to it, but actually the movie gave him nothing great to do.

There had to be (Harry and the Hendersons) to win the Oscar for the best make up in that year! Although I'm a big fan of (Harry..), but it's sort of irritating, because (Robert Laden) made a fine job indeed. I dare you if you showed (Peter Falk)'s picture as an old woman, for anybody who didn't watch this movie, that they would identify or even guess who on earth is that? Maybe it got something to do with making a wholly fable character as in (Harry..) more than putting diligence into another woman disguise. (Bill Conti) is one composer who you wait nothing bad or so-so from him, and he always fulfills that. (John G. Avildsen) dealt with it fine, whereas it's not a caper movie only, it's a romantic tale also. The 1980s' feel is overwhelming, the serene colors are here, and the comic atmosphere is in the smartness of the heist's details, so the witty performance's moments.

The best about it, else giving the lead role to 60 year old actor, is that it has a deep meaning under the amusing surface as well. The story says it plainly: she forgave him as a thief, and he forgave her affair while he was in jail. And I loved what seemed as implied, very wicked, meaning also, where being uneducated yet clever thief is better than being a sophisticated artiest (or vain pedant!), as the first kind is too intelligent, a human that stumbles sometimes, and learns about it, so honest when it comes to love, and - most of all - doesn't brag. It's a tribute to the simple man who can be sophisticated in his own area, and a case of a woman who wants to find herself away from any deceiving aspects with someone who understands love and deserves it, even if he was originally a deceiver himself! Actually, the 2 of them were thieves and crooks in a way, but love can work things out. And I think it's only in the movies when you feel happy because the criminal gets away with it at the end!

Compared to the few heist movies in the 1980s (small list with titles like: Tough Guys, Green Ice, A Fish Called Wanda,..), (Happy New Year) is sure memorable with special personality, being an interesting heist with a love lesson too. It's all in the double narration by (Falk) and (Durning) which was so nice, smart and thrilling. Martin Scorsese' (Casino) would use something like it 8 years later.

John G. Avildsen is probably best known for movies with fighting in their center, like the two Rocky and three Karate Kid movies he made. Here, he's working from a script by Warren Lane, which was based on La bonne année by Claude Lelouch.

Nick (Peter Falk) and Charlie (Charles Durning) are two old timer thieves looking for one last big score. That score is a Harry Winston jewelry store in Palm Beach, but for all their planning Nick's potential love interest Carolyn (Wendy Hughes) might throw these cons off their game. Their mark is her boss Edward Saunders (Tom Courtenay) and his security team, which they throw off through a series of disguises.

Hollywood once seemed addicted to remaking French films - 12 Monkeys, And God Created Woman, The Jackal, Jungle 2 Jungle, The Birdcage, Blame It On Rio, Diabolique, Oscar, The Toy, True Lies, Three Man and a Baby, so many more - and this is another example. It's a cute movie that didn't get seen much when it first came out, which gave it a bit of appeal.

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.