Happy New Year

I'm a great fan of the movies of Claude Lelouch, a film maker who believes that a life of random incidents adds up to fate, He is a disciple of Julien Duvivier and his work might be described as part of the magical realism movement. His films are full of odd details -- seemingly odd until you realize they are glimpses into some one else's oddly patterned fate, as if each of us is a single tile in a vast mosaic. The effect is often lushly romantic.

What to make, then, of this American version of his LA BONNE ANNEE? Well, compared to the original, it's cut-down slop, as all the charming details are removed to concentrate on the caper -- everything after is treated as a throwaway. As a remake, it's a bomb.

As a movie on its own, it comes off as an oddly paced caper film with a badly edited love story added on. The caper is very good. The love story is butchered. Peter Falk plays his role with a great deal of charm. The result is something you might stare at for a couple of hours without much pain, but don't waste time looking for it. Watch the Lelouch original.

This movie probably passed by the box office like a cocaine bag in the bronx. But it wasn´t that bad. What´s more: it was amusing to watch how Peter Falk and his partner steal a jewerly dressed as an old man. The acting was nothing out of this world, and the plot was just about fine. But the music theme was really sticky, I can still hear that anoying but entertaining tone. If you see this on T.V. it´s ok, but I wouldn´t rent it at a price higher than 2 dollars.

Falk is fantastic as a charming thief in this Americanized remake of Claude Lelouch's 1973 film "La bonne annee." With the help of partner Durning, both men set out to pull a heist on a Florida jewelery shoppe, but things don't always go as planned. Falk carries the picture with his savvy characterization, aided in many scenes by some masterful make-up, which received an Oscar nomination.

This movie is a crime caper, an old-guys buddy picture and a romantic love story all wrapped up in one happy package. Peter Falk and Charles Durning play the crooks and Wendy Hughes, at the very peak of her astonishing beauty, plays the accidental love interest. What a trio!

The caper itself is a lot of fun. Tom Courtney as the upper-crust store manager, caught up by his own greed, is perfect, and so are all the supporting cast members. There are twists and turns, of course but in the end love wins out, all to the accompaniment of a score that I find myself humming long after I've watched Happy New Year. Which I do every couple of years. It's a gem.

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