Le Fauve

This film is worth viewing just for the pantomime Reynolds does during the opening credits; some really funny stuff. I also liked the fact that an old Twilight Zone alumnus, Buzz Kulick, directed. Reynolds is not a great actor and he knows it. He tends to play the same character in every film he appears in. The one exception is of course the masterpiece Deliverence, where he plays the stoic man of action to the hilt. Shamus is a fast breezy piece of work that is fun to watch and it appears that Burt Reynolds had fun making it. Reynolds also has a tie to The Twilight Zone. In an episode called The Bard, playing a method actor called Rocky Rhodes, Reynolds does a hilarious parody of Marlon Brando.

Shamus leaves you in no doubt who the star is right from the opening credits, for those who enjoy private eye movies this one is fun from beginning to end. Plenty of action and a murder to solve. The wardrobe dates a bit, but the action sequences are great and the musical score adds to the films "Cool." Who better to do 70's cool than Burt. Dyan Cannon is infectious and there's a good support cast along for the ride. It's a basic enough private eye plot with twists and turns, really banking on it's popular leads. Plenty of good lines and attitude. That said, John P. Ryan is full speed ahead as a corrupt Lt. Col.(unfortunately his characters name always makes me laugh.) Another quick note would be the stake out from the book shop, an update of the sequence from the Big sleep. The film is definitely worth a look. For Reynolds' fans it's a must.

The story of Shamus seems to be loosely based on Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep. Burt Reynolds is in the Humphrey Bogart role, and he acquits himself well playing the Philip Marlowe of the chewing gum generation. He doesn't take himself too seriously, is less sarcastic than the forties version and there are quite a few good laughs to be had.

Shamus is remarkable for reflecting the period it was shot in. The directing and the cinematography are very good. I also liked the musical score. There are quite a few nicely stylized action scenes on real locations in dock areas. Dyan Cannon gives her usual solid performance and wears clothes today's fashion designers will be very interested in. Her character's apartment in a high rise on East River must be the "dernier cri" of 1973‘s interior decorating: prints of Vasarely and Miro, steel frame chairs with white leather cushions, lamps with huge chrome bowls etc. etc.

This movie, a bright child of its time, is well worth preserving.

Burt Reynolds in his prime as detective McCoy investigates gun trade and several lovely ladies. Some investigations lead to life threatening danger, some to the pool table. The time of the plot is early seventies but some obvious and tradition conscious nods to the detective genre point back to the forties. Two scenes, the taking of the assignment and later a scene with a lady in a bookshop seem strangely familiar. Like they were lifted from 'The Big Sleep' and turned into something new and more humorous. If I'm not all wrong about those bits, they certainly are a nice touch to the story.

McCoy also seems to have a lot in common with Mike Hammer of 'Kiss Me Deadly', his nature. At one moment he is a likable wisecracking guy and a ladies man. Then at a moment's notice he may turn into a violently sadistic brawler using any means to put a man down and get any information he wants. He is almost like two guys at one, which considering the profession becomes very handy indeed.

Shamus is full of speedy action, chases, fights and some very good looking stunts which at least some of them Reynolds seem to have handled himself. No need to wonder his superstar status during the seventies. He really had the works, skill and presence many action stars of today are lacking. Dyan Cannon as McCoy's new flame is simply lovely. She is the heart of the movie and brings in the sexiness for male viewers. Not being much of a game player I don't have to wonder anymore about the holes in pool tables.

I just watched "Shamus" for the first time, ever. I mainly wanted to watch it for two reasons, one being I like early Burt, and also that it was filmed (the Brooklyn scenes) just blocks from where I grew up. I guess that I like early 70's NYC films as well.

Truth is, I did make it through the movie, but it's not really that good of a movie. Actually, I pretty much have absolutely no idea what it was about. Something about some stolen diamonds, guns, and shady people but it all just got lost to me. The main fun is watching 70's superstud Burt do his private-eye thing, which is mainly smoking cigarettes, acting cool, throwing around witty one-liners, getting chicks to go to bed with him, and punching guys out. Hey, good enough. What was that plot again? Funny scene in a bookstore where Burt walks in and decides he's gonna sleep with the hot intellectual chick in there, and of course he makes her melt with his ultra-coolness and smooth lines. Burt smooth-talks the gorgeous Dyan Cannon too, who kinda underacts here, like she's half asleep.

There are a lot of familiar 70's faces in this. But maybe best of all is Morris The Cat, who I guess earned the role from his rave reviews as 9-Lives spokescat (he was also in the movie "The Long Goodbye"). Morris earns raves as he uses his cool cat skills to, well, be a cool cat when things are happening around him. Morris gets fed a few times and we don't see the brand, 9-Lives definitely missed on some early product placement.

But Burt is good, as he participates in a lot of fighting, loving, swearing, and he even drives a huge stolen army vehicle throughout town with no police interference. The movie has an odd ending, maybe Morris should have helped that out. If you can watch Burt do his thing without caring too much about the mixed up plot, "Shamus" is good for a viewing.