Os Safados

This film is so smart, so imaginative and so artfully played that it flew over the radar of the average movie-goer when it first came out. Michael Caine is at his brilliant best as the suave Laurence Jamison and Steve Martin's 'Ruprecht' is a comic masterpiece. As Freddy, he's the perfect boob -- smart enough to con women into giving him small sums of money, too stupid to realize there's a world going on around him where the stakes are much, much higher. It is also easy to underestimate the work of Glenn Headly, but once you've seen the whole movie you realize how her simple choices add up to a very complicated performance indeed. Every time I see this movie I laugh out loud.

This film made an impression on me before I even saw it. I was in a theater, and a trailer for "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" came on. While a voice-over talked about the value of movies promoting morality and civility, you saw Martin and Caine strolling along a beachfront, smiling beneficently as they greet passers-by. Then Caine shoved cotton candy into a kids face while Martin pushed a woman off a ledge.

It's a great sequence, and is featured on the DVD with its own commentary from director Frank Oz (when has that ever happened before?) but a little misleading. Actually, while both men are scoundrels, neither is quite that vile. Caine's Lawrence Jamieson is actually a bit of an altruist, as we find out, with a code of only taking in people who can afford to be taken, and finding ways of spending the money that are not entirely self-serving. Martin's Freddy Benson is less disciplined and more small-time in his cons; he'll steal candy from a baby and tell you it's for his poor sick Gram-Gram if caught, but he is likeable, too, an underdog with little idea how the game is played at the highest levels, but eager to learn.

The fact you can like these characters is a compliment to Martin and Caine, as well as director Oz and the team of writers. Tone is everything with a film like this, and as Oz says in his commentary, so important in making the comedy work. He notes he was going for a 1950s feel in the picture, I'm guessing with Hitchcock's "To Catch A Thief" in mind. The great score by Miles Goodman is solid enough to deserve its own CD reissue, with an air of light sophistication that buoys the proceedings on screen. Most importantly, since much of the comedy involves people taking advantage of one another, having everything put forward in such a gossamer manner helps you digest the story without leaving a bad taste.

Martin shines in many scenes, especially when playing Ruprecht the idiot man-child and when stuck in jail trying to remember the name of the only man he thinks can bail him out ("James Lawrenceton...no, wait, James Jesterton....no, no, it's definitely, um...") I knew Martin could be funny, and with the exception of "All Of Me" this is probably his best comedic performance, but Caine is a revelation. A straight man, yes, but with delicate timing and some clever characterizations that he pulls out of a bag, like an Germanic psychiatrist with some unusual ideas about curing lameness. You forget how good Caine is in comedy, despite his performances in films like this, "Blame It On Rio," and "Without A Clue." Glenne Headly is a revelation as the woman caught in the middle of Jamieson and Benson's scheming, every bit as good as her male counterparts, but say no more.

Great actors, great tone, but the plot is the best thing this film has. It's a remake of a 1964 film "Bedtime Story," which teamed Marlon Brando and David Niven for what should have been a dream team but went flat instead. This time, the script is helped by actors who can not only deliver funny lines but make them funnier, and by an ending (according to Oz in his commentary, one worked out over several long dinner meetings with Martin) that is simply perfect.

Finally, Oz needs to be recognized. He was only making his second non-Muppet film here, but the result in my view is one of the best comedies anyone has ever done. He manages to get the best from everyone, including the actors and cinematographer Michael Ballhaus (some amazing night shots of the French Rivera waterfront you never tire of looking at), and delivers a rare jewel of a film, a laugh-out-loud comedy that leaves you with a warm feeling inside.

Ian McDairmid plays Arthur the butler in this, teaming him with Oz yet again. Almost titled this review "Yoda And Palpatine On The French Riviera;" it's interesting McDairmid plays the one guy in "Scoundrels" who's really on the level.

It brings tears to my eyes seeing the resolve of "Freddie" (Steve Martin), the jilted-paralyzed vet, getting whacked on the run by Con Man-buddy "Dr. Schuffhausen" (Michael Caine). You can hear the swooshing of the silky satin suit as the Dr. backs up, antelopes towards Freddie, and positively cracks his shins with the sting of a whip-like stem. The look on Steve Martin's face as he fights the tears to preserve his character is priceless!

What a film! "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" has a really clever plot, in which Lawrence, a high-class playboy (Michael Caine), and Freddy, a petty con man (Steve Martin), make their living by seducing and cheating rich ladies. However, the little French town is too small for both, so they decide to set up a bet in which the loser has to clear the area. Pretty and naive Janet (Glenn Headly) is the object of their contest, and each one of them engages in ever-more ingenious tricks to try to rip her off and win the bet, yet with unpredictable results.

The movie is hilarious, and despite its 15 years' of age, it is as fresh as it has been when it was first produced. Steve Martin of course is the funniest character of all, with his fantastic "Ruprecht" performance being unforgettable. Go ahead and enjoy this film. It is worth it! 9/10.

How on earth did this movie get a 6.7 on the ratings scale? Read the comments, this is one of the funniest and most intelligent comedies ever, remake or not. When you can watch a film 20, 30 times and still find it funny 15 years after it was first released how is that not a classic?