Der Löwe zeigt die Krallen

Another enjoyably hearty Burt Reynolds vehicle to the long-winded comedy caper list, but making it more a welcoming ride is a strong cast along side him with David Niven, Lesley-Ann Down and Patrick Magee. Director Don Siegel serviceably lets it flow without much structure, as the crafty story has its twists and turns with its clever façade before finally revealing its trump cards. An aging Scotland Yard detective Chief Insp. Cyril Willis is coming towards retirement, but before calling it a day he has plans of capturing Jack Rhodes an American jewel thief that throughout his career has always been one step ahead. So in comes a beautiful lady, which is part of the plan to nab his man. But what blossoms is unexpected.

Tailored like an old-fashioned romance comedy, "Rough Cut" is all about a laconically lounging Reynolds sweeping the gorgeous Lesley Ann-Down off her feet, while finding some time to organise a quick in and out heist of some diamonds. Sometimes the tone can be jumpy, but everything feels like its on cruise-control with Siegel's automatic handling, especially when it comes to the excitement and dangers of the job. The witty script is where the rapid fire comes from. However the action when it arrives is masterfully shot. It's smooth and magnetic, just like the performances. The interplay between the cast works. Reynolds plays it dry and confident. A sexy Down is a complete delight and Niven only adds to the wilily fun.

Picture this: Burt Reynolds is at a decadent party. He spies Leslie-Anne Down in a sequined black dress and is determined to meet her. Neither of them speak, until at last, Burt opens his mouth and does his best Cary Grant impersonation. She smiles and asks, "Why are you doing Tony Curtis?" If you laughed just now, you'll like Rough Cut.

Burt catches Leslie stealing diamonds at the party, and he surreptitiously steals them from her a few minutes later. To get them back, she follows him back to his apartment and tries to stealthily rob him. Sparks fly, and he asks her on a date. In the next scene, she visits Chief Inspector David Niven; it turns out, she's cooperating with the police to catch Burt, a notorious jewel thief!

Rough Cut is a constant game of cat-and-mouse and who's-playing-who, so if you like those types of movies, you'll love this one. It's funny and full of twists and turns in the plot-and everyone is easy to root for! Rent this for a cute date night with your sweetie pie; it'll be a lot of fun.

For poor David Niven, ROUGH CUT turned out to be the second heist comedy centering on diamond thieves where he gets lost in the mix: First of course was THE PINK PANTHER as the charming, sophisticated criminal with lawman Peter Sellers historically stealing the show, and here Niven himself is the dogged constable yet the entire picture belongs to Burt Reynolds and Lesley-Anne Down playing the suave burglars...

And although directed mostly by American edgy auteur Don Siegel and starring the American box office champ Reynolds, this British-set CUT has the witty pace and polished style of that country's crime-comedy genre including polite expository banter, lavish interior sets and plenty of champagne...

As the best scenes occur during the first half when Reynolds (initially seducing Susan Littler) and Down (who instantly catches his eye) are both figuring a way out of Niven's built-in blackmail, threatening to expose her prior classy-crookedness if she doesn't secretly help bust Burt's Jack Rhodes, the one villain who'd always gotten away...

After which the 11th hour diamond heist/con is overly complicated for both the girl caught in-between, and the audience who, in expecting another Reynolds popcorn-action flick, gets a semi-entertaining old fashion 1940's-in-the-1970's caper -- that needed much more of an edge (from both the director and its star) to give this proverbial clever riddle a more fulfilling punchline.

Cat burglar Jack Rhodes (Burt Reynolds) is at a high class party to steal jewels only to be scooped by Gillian Bromley (Lesley-Anne Down). He is immediately taken with her. He recruits her into his gang for a big job. She is actually a secret informer sent by Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Cyril Willis (David Niven).

Burt is trying to get by with his natural charms. It works to some extent but this movie is doomed from the start. Gillian working for Cyril should have been revealed much later. Gillian revealing that to Jack is even more problematic. One of the bad results is the lack of caper planning. That's one of the joys of a caper movie. The characters have fun planning and setting it all up. Instead, we're left with only Burt and Lesley frolicking and doing next to nothing. Any fun with the beginning gets slowly drained away. Another result from the lack of planning fun is not following the caper. First it's a plane chase and then it's a car chase. I don't think the caper actually makes sense and the final twist makes it complete non-sense. All that is left is an extremely charming Burt Reynolds.

Rough Cut is delicious froth, a shiny bauble of wonderfully made costume jewelry - not the real thing, but so much fun you don't care how silly and artificial it is. Burt Reynolds and the overpoweringly gorgeous Lesley-Anne Down are so perfect in the lead roles that you forgive this movie its many flaws.

This is, essentially, a fairy tale. You know everything will go right, it's just a question of how. It's like the great early 1990s British show Lovejoy - filmed in a beautiful England of pastels and greenery, of charming U characters and not-all-that-menacing bad guys.

It's just a very enjoyable, very romantic caper movie with two terrific stars and a fine supporting cast, filmed in splendid colors. Everything doesn't have to be Some Like It Hot.