The Jokers

A good and enjoyable Michael Winner film? I know it's hard to believe but it is. It has all the merry pranks and tomfoolery of some other swinging 60's films, such as the Italian Job, but you probably haven't seen it. Reed and Crawford are supperb, great fun, seek it out.

As the remains of Michael Winner's already tarnished reputation as a film maker stagger bloodied and battered from the wreckage of his latest debacle "Parting Shots", it is difficult to believe that he was once a genuinely promising director. A director who in the sixties had proved his worth largely with hip and swinging comedies such as "The Jokers". In this picture we follow the exploits of two well off brothers, with far too much time on their hands,as they set out to steal the crown jewels, not for financial gain or any political reason but just for the sheer hell of it. The script is razor sharp, Winner's direction is crisp, and the perfectly cast Oliver Reed and Michael Crawford both shine as the two scheming siblings. The fact that the establishment figures are not stereotypically portrayed as buffoons but as highly competent officials makes it more of a delight to see the brothers run such rings round them. With a couple of brilliant twists along the way the only let down is seeing the film run out of steam towards the very end. Its a shame Dick Clements and Ian La Frenais, who penned this film, could have not come up with a climax as inventive as what had come before in this remarkable movie.

Oliver Reed stars in this heist of the Crown Jewels. A "Class" Act of the brothers' Tremayne! This is a thrilling worthwhile film that shakes you up, but leaves you begging for more. A movie that tells what it was like to be in London in the 1960s, the suspense builds till the mystery overwhelms the senses and you wish that the film will never end. Some of the scenes near the end of this film are so haunting and surreal that they leave an indelible memory imprint.

I highly recommend this film as the intensity of Oliver Reed will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Not too many films capture the imagination, but this one grabs you immediately and never lets go until it is time to hit the exits.

Go see it and Enjoy! Big time entertainment!

Two clever, but rebellious and anarchic upper-class brothers (Oliver Reed and Michael Crawford) plot the ultimate robbery - the theft of the crown jewels from the Tower of London and concoct what they believe is the perfect alibi; the trouble is, can they trust one another?

Both are a couple of drifters from a highly privileged background and have been given the best in life, but they are bored and suffer from a superiority complex which means they think they are above the law and that winning is all that matters. The theft is a chance to cock a snook at the British establishment, of which they are a part, and to brag about it to their party-going 'hooray' friends, thus enabling them to become part of folklore for their generation. They believe they can get away with it so long as the jewels are returned to the Tower - and there lies the crunch.

The opening scene shows the Crawford character being slung out of the army for breaking every rule in the book and circumnavigating the army's chain of command so that he can capture his objective on Salisbury Plain. The fact that he used his initiative is neither here nor there - he's a rebel with no ethics and that doesn't fit well with the British Army. In time of war, you need buccaneers like the brothers in order to win the day. They are straight out of sixteenth century tradition of Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh and this coincides exactly with the spirit of the hedonistic 'swinging sixties' where anything goes.

The picture is tremendous fun and is well scripted by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, two of the best screenwriters around. Michael Crawford didn't want to participate in the making of the film originally as he thought no-one would believe he could be Oliver Reed's brother. However, prior to filming, he met Reed's real-life brother who displayed an uncanny resemblance to Crawford and this made him change his mind. THIS MOVIE MUST BE BROUGHT OUT ON DVD NOW!!!

This is one of the best crime caper movies of all time, but does anybody outside of the U.K. remember it? Another great but overlooked movie. I saw this when I was a kid and then again about 10 years ago on one of the T.V. movie channels. I taped it and if I could I'd copy it to DVD and distribute it freely. It's also one of the best comedies, not to mention a whodunit and a fab portrayal of swinging London circa 1967. Plot twists, betrayal, witty dialog and great characters. Michael Crawford is a genuine talent who appeared in two of my favorite movies: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Hello Dolly! He resurfaces back in the 80s as the Phantom of the Opera. Oliver Reed, is also one of the best. Together, they create the perfect sibling rivalry. Oh, the music is good too.

They don't make movies like this anymore, do they?