Un coup de 2 milliards de dollars

Who doesn't like heist movies, be it cash, jewelry, paintings, gold bars, etc. Or diamonds? The film has a solid, well-written script. Robert Shaw is one of the best actors ever and one of the actors I love the most. A unique man, with a more than penetrating gaze, with his eyes like a scalpel if not like a laser, he could have cut through any safe just by looking at it.

Barbara Hershey, Mary Magdalene from "The Last Temptation of Christ", looks super sexy, specially dressed as a nun. She is young, beautiful, talented and with her smile, she can wake up the dead. Mister Richard "Shaft" Roundtree, in the night scenes, in total dark, you can neither distinguish him nor say he's there on the screen. It's true, I'm not being mean when I say that. But he did a good role. And Shelley Winters is a perfect actress, very natural, with a special charm. The film reminded me of another very good film with a similar subject, "Topkapi", with Maximilian Schell in a role similar to that of Robert Shaw in this "Diamonds". But, in "Diamonds", at the end you will have a big unexpected surprise. Menahem Golan, the producer and director of this film, did a very good job. And nice music by Roy Budd too.

Implausible but mildly diverting crime caper directed by Menahem Golan a few years before he and cousin Yoram Globus gave the world Cannon Films and a its raft of bad '80s movies starring a young Chuck Norris, an old Chuck Bronson, and various and sundry break dancers and American ninjas. The film begins on a low note - a karate match featuring Robert Shaw as a pair of battling twin brothers, courtesy of special effects that would have embarrassed Patty Duke circa 1963. Things pick up when Shaw - along with Richard Roundtree as a master thief just of of prison and Barbara Hershey (going through her Seagull phase) as his sexy girlfriend - land in Israel, where the massive and elaborate diamond heist is to take place. The location filming in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and elsewhere makes this film distinctive and watchable, even if it's never going to make anyone forget Topkapi, Rififi, or The Asphalt Jungle. Oh, and Shelley Winters shows up unnecessarily from time to time pretty much reprising her Poseidon Adventure role as a gregarious American yenta visiting Israel. Hardly a forgotten gem, but worth a look for fans of '70s cheese thanks to the cast and settings.

It's one of those films I discovered purely by chance looking through Robert Shaw's filmography and happened to find the whole film on YouTube. I liked it. It's not polished and the twist at the end was driven by ego and morals, but that helped it feel a different cut to the usual formula e.g. Oceans... Italian Job etc. In fact there's a semblance of another film I like, with Oliver Reed and Michael Crawford called Jokers which would make a perfect double billed afternoon. I particularly enjoyed the similarities to the first Mission Impossible film, without giving too much away. Just temper any expectations of high action. This film works by tension but it does it well enough to justify watching at least once. Not a bucket-list worthy film, but the main actors may justify my 6/10.

Good crime drama, with somewhat complex storyline (unique twists and turns), but easy and fun to follow. Characters portrayed by Robert Shaw and by Richard Roundtree were played well, particularly Robert Shaw's quirky expressions (similar to those of Quint, in Jaws, but with a good deal more class). Barbara Hershey's character was OK, but could have been played as well or better by any number of actresses. Israeli cast members did a good job, and there were some really nice scenic shots of Israeli locations (though somewhat dated, in view of the time of filming). Good fun - good ending!

Firstly, it is wrong to associate this alongside any of the Shaft series. The VHS reissue (in EP mode) is evidently retitled to fortify it on the retail shelves. Roundtree is entirely cast different, and fans of Shaft will be disappointed that he doesn't even wear a mustache in the film. Rather, "Diamonds" is one of those action/caper films that seem to fit very comfortably in the 70's. It's hardly jaw-dropping material, but Golan (of the Cannon film group) invested well into this accurately sketched story.

The location work on "Diamonds" is superb and justly highlighted. The story starts in Europe but is mostly in the streets, neighborhoods and buildings of Israel, which is somewhat unusual for an "exotic" locale. There's plenty of local flavor injected into the story, and the location plays a big part in the tension of the plot- Israeli police using their own means to track down an international thief and an ominous London businessman. Roundtree is superb, still shining in the Shaft afterglow and Shaw is as consistent as ever (even in the iffy double-casting job). Unfortunately, the women do not fare so well- Barbara Hershey (as Barbara Seagull) whines at Roundtree's character throughout half the film about some unclear relationship issues. And Shelly Winters is...... uhhhhh, well, Shelly Winters as she portrays a lukewarm bit of comedic relief. She plays a stereotype American Jewish woman visiting Israel on a tour to buy diamonds. A peripheral character at best, it could be said that her character exists merely to parody the common Israeli/American tourist. Nonetheless, the action and details of this thriller are the fenceposts here and they hold together a remarkably good 70's flick. The soundtrack, which might at times see more recognition than the film, is composed by cult composer Roy Budd (Get Carter, Stone Killer, etc) and The Three Degrees. It too has been reissued. Overall, it's a nice surprise and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys 70's action cinema or borderline Black action.