La emboscada

In 1999's Entrapment, an insurance investigator, Virginia Baker, Gin to her friends, is sure that thief Robert MacDougal, Mac to his friends, has stolen a Rembrandt painting. Her boss isn't convinced. He's very wealthy and past an age where breaking into things is easy.

Gin is certain he's the criminal. The question is, how can she recover the painting? She approaches Mac as a fellow thief, stating she wants to steal a Chinese mask from the Bedford Palace, nearly impossible. She has a buyer. She needs his help.

Mac has her steal the security plans for the palace, all the while tracking her movements, so she knows he can throw her in prison at any time. She succeeds in getting them, and they repair to his castle in Scotland to work out the complicated heist.

Of course, there's a mutual attraction. As my late friend used to say, "Well, you can't blame them. They're both pretty gorgeous." The question is, who is playing whom?

Directed by Jon Amiel, Entrapment has a fun, intriguing, and twisty plot that will keep you guessing. The leads are wonderful though they do not have the sparks-flying kind of chemistry often seen.

Very entertaining.

I know: many viewers resented the apparent lack of physical chemistry between the characters played by Connery and Zeta-Jones. Most of them had vivid memories of Sean Connery playing the always charismatic 007, and Catherine Zeta-Jones exchanging sparks with Antonio Banderas in The Mask of Zorro.

But is chemistry between a man and a woman just, physical, sensual, and sexual ?

I find the movie entertaining, as it shows 2 people enjoying doing what they like best. The chemistry is between Zeta-Jones youth, outgoing passion for life and Connery's less evident, more inward quest for adventure which is backed up by his wisdom and longtime experience. As they go about doing and accomplishing things together, the old man develops respect and acknowledges the younger woman's worth. Slowly he starts to like her and, despite his age, or, perhaps because of his age, he feels that, to a certain extent he cares for her. While, at the same time, she turns from intellectually admiring him to actually liking him on her side.

Admittedly, it is an uneasy chemistry between Connery, the Scott gentleman and Catherine, the Welsh with long brown hair and eyes, but the film offers enjoyable action moments interspersed with occasionally good dialogue and exchanges between the two leads.

Watch "Entrapment" ! Enjoy it as I did for what it is, not for what it is not!- (rating 7.5/10)

I have to admit that Catherine is so gorgeous in this film and Sean so handsome (as always!) that they (themselves not the character) kept on getting my attention while we watched the film.

Now to the film... the picture is not so sharp and the audio is okay. (This is the next film that we watched after The Matrix). As for the storyline, the chase scenes didn't live up to how the story was brought up which was very good and exciting and intriguing.

Sean and Catherine make a good pair in this film. Catherine didn't look like she was 'intimidated' by working with a veteran actor like Sean. She endured the film and it looks like that she actually quite overwhelmed Sean on this one. It is an honor for Hollywood actors and actresses to work with an icon like Sean and not only Catherine was fortunate but she did fit as Sean's sidekick. The 'romance' that was built up between them has a good chemistry and they really are suited as a match (despite the age gap).

To my surprise, the latter part of the film was shot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where i worked for almost 6 months. It is very refreshing to see our side of the world in big films (with big names) like this. I am not sure about this but it's quite weird that there are no people/commuters at the train station at 6:30 in the morning. I felt funny seeing them alone on the station that really didn't look like realistic at all. I know for sure that KL is a busy capital and it justs doesn't look correct.

On the chase scene inside the current tallest building in the world, the tear gas event is also a disappointment. I've experienced the agony of what tear gas do to your eyes, skin and nose/lungs - and this without even being near the teargas can! I just can't imagine how the characters would have 'survived' going thru the smoke and then continue running away from the authorities.

Sean and Catherine were great together and the story was thrilling and exciting. If not for the sloppy chase scenes, I have given it 8 stars. In this case, it's a 7.

One of the best things this movie has going for it is the two stars. Sean Connery is one of the most recognized and appreciated faces in film today. And Catherine Zeta-Jones is one of the most talented and beautiful new faces around today. Mix them into a film with some good action, an interesting plot and some cool gadgets and you've got a winner. That's what ENTRAPMENT is.

Gin Baker (Catherine Zeta-Jones) seems to be working for an insurance company. She has a certain fascination with Mac MacDougal (Sean Connery), who is an incredibly good thief who has stolen numerous works of art. After a particularly expensive work of art is stolen, her boss Hector Cruz (Will Patton) sends her to track him down, lure him to an extremely beneficial robbery and trap him (hence the title) so the FBI can arrest him. But Gin, who is a very talented thief herself has her own plans. With the help of Mac, and his partner that she doesn't know about named Aaron Thibadeaux (Ving Rhames), she wants to do a robbery with a payoff of billions of dollars.

The acting in this movie is, of course, excellent. Sean Connery, naturally, does his usual outstanding job, but Catherine Zeta-Jones steals the show. Her close-ups are beautiful, as expected, and she manages to give off a professional, and sexy, performance. Ving Rhames also does a good job as the not-sure-he-can-be-trusted partner of Connery. Will Patton also does a good job, even though his part isn't especially large.

The plot is very interesting, but the ending is a little confusing. It happens and ends rather quickly, which may make you think "What just happened?" You'll understand it a few minutes later, but some will be left with a some what dissatisfied feeling about the end.

This movie is really pretty good. The actors are good, the plot is interesting, the machinery is nice and the close-ups of Catherine Zeta-Jones' butt are great. Worth a rent, for sure.

I have to say that I liked watching Entrapment. It is a good, entertaining movie. But what I don't understand is why this movie is called a comedy? It didn't really make me laugh. It did make me smile though and that is already a good thing. There were some humorous parts in it, but in my opinion, that's still not enough to call it a comedy.

If it isn't a comedy, what is it than? It's a well produced action thriller which was able to keep my attention from the beginning to the end thanks to the many twists and the good acting. You could say of course that Sean Connery is still used to playing this kind of roles. He wasn't James Bond for nothing. He still knows how to play a smart gentleman who likes to play with a lot of gadgets and pretty ladies... And what an opponent he has! Catherine Zeta-Jones is really nice to look at in every way...

Connery is an art thief who is able to pass the best security systems, stealing the painting and making fun of the security people by changing the original painting with a picture of Elvis. Catherine Zeta-Jones investigates the crime scenes for an insurance company and tries to catch Connery. To do so she will try to convince him that she's a thief as well, that she has planned a huge robbery but that she needs his help to complete it.

Thanks to the many twists, this movie will keep you guessing till the end who is what, who did what to who and why,... And the ending is, in comparison to other movies of this kind, a pure surprise, very subtle and truly original. That is why I reward this movie with a 7,5/10. Truly a good job!