Ca$h

A very good, really fun and clever heist movie. And for those who keep comparing it to Ocean's-don't-know-which-number: it's far less glossy than its Hollywood counterparts but glossy enough for its genre. Jean Reno and Jean Dujardin have much more substance in their acting and they possess a European class that Hollywood actors like Clooney or Pitt (excellent as they might be) are missing. Accordingly Goino's and Taglioni's elegance and expressiveness have Zeta-Jones and Roberts just envying. Bref, a very enjoyable movie that's not pretending to be anything else than that.

Con-trick films are a well-worn genre: perhaps almost every one of them recalls 'The Sting', while the ending of 'Cash' brings to mind superior efforts like Mamet's 'House of Games' or my personal favourite, Fabian Bielinsky's 'Nine Queens'. But the particular story of a glamorous investigator on the trail of an equally glamorous criminal reminded me most of 'The Thomas Crown Affair', even before the use of split-screens, surely an act of intentional homage. The movie's glamorous portrayal of smoking also seemed like a gesture to another era. But unlike the best films of its type, there's no deep character study here. The film is entirely lightweight, and even has comedy music to underscore its critical moves. The result is fun and lavish, but also utterly shallow, and none of the developments really take you by surprise as nothing is really credible even before the under-layers are revealed. Even as a comedy-thriller, it's lacking substance and it's hard to care about any of the protagonists. It is mildly entertaining, but devoid of any deeper purpose, and there's really nothing here you won't have seen before.

Other reviewers have noticed the similarities between C$SH and OCEANS ELEVEN (2001) or OCEANS TWELVE (2004). To this list we might add some caper films of the Sixties, including the original OCEAN'S ELEVEN (1960) or Ronald Neame's GAMBIT (1966) and Peter Collinson's THE Italian JOB (1969).

All the familiar elements are here: exotic locations in Monaco as well as the south of France; sun-kissed beaches and luxury hotels; the deep azure blue of the Mediterranean; iconic cars; and a stellar cast clearly enjoying themselves with Éric Besnard's script.

The plot is basically irrelevant - suffice to say that small time conman Cash (Jean Dujardin) pits his wits against Mr. Big Maxime - Dubreuil (Jean Reno). It seems that Cash's endeavors are doomed to fail, as Maxime not only has power but wealth and guile as well. Cash teams up with enthusiastic police officer Julia (Valeria Golino), whose understanding of the difference between right and wrong appears tenuous at best, and together they set about trying to place a sting on Maxime. The action comes to a climax at a luxury seaside hotel, with the protagonists fighting to secure an attaché case full of expensive and unregistered diamonds.

Also involved in the gallimaufry are Ciarán Hinds and Joe Sheridan as a pair of native English speakers involved with the French police force; their grasp of both languages is highly competent - far more so than their professional abilities.

The effect of watching C$SH is rather like playing with a series of Chinese boxes; nothing is quite what it seems. The 'good' characters turn out to be corrupt' the 'bad' characters are not quite as black-hearted as we might first assume. But director Éric Besnard isn't much interested in morality; he invites us to admire the ingenuity of the various cons instituted by the various characters. This is a world where only the fittest - and the most astute - survive.

A highly enjoyable film, with a series of ingenious shot-structures (especially the use of split-screen techniques) recalling those days of the "Swinging Sixties" when everyone seemed so much more carefree than they do today.

The comparison is fateful - for better (as "unavoidable") and worse (as "suicidal"). The main fault lays in the characters (none has the perverse charm of Gondorff and Hooker) and in those parts of the script that depict the heists (not by far as ingenious as in the best movies of the genre, but neither as hair-pulled and flat as in the "Ocean..." series). Fortunately, the direction is fast-paced and stylish, so this saves the day more or less. And... okay, I won't spoil the ending, but one thing should be stated: it's totally unlikely. You do NOT pull such an elaborate farce, ONLY to send (...) screaming in a motor boat without fuel in the middle of the Mediterranean.

Further, the perpetual use of the trick "I'm not who you thought me to be" is hugely abused of, reminding rather of "The Pirates of the Caribbean". What really stands is the sparkling direction and the old-fashioned style, nostalgically recalling the end of the Seventies. For such a merry flick, it's positively refreshing.

A scam is afoot, but then there is a double-cross, triple-cross, quadruple-cross, etc. I found the film enjoyable, parts of it filmed inside some very posh hotels that you usually don't see in films.

Also, there are the Extremely Attractive three lead actors, very easy on the eyes.

Some of the critical reviewers seem to have been expecting Citizen Kane, which of course it isn't. But it's fun to try to differentiate the good guys from the bad guys. You won't be bored !

French films in the past have gotten a bad rap accused of being too "arty". This is certainly not true of this offering, whose purpose is only to entertain. Enjoy !