Gambit (2012)
(2012)The con is on.
Colin Firth is an art curator and Cameron Diaz as a Texas rodeo queen, teaming up to con his abusive boss (Alan Rickman) into buying a fake Monet painting. Written by the Coen brothers, adapting Michael Caine’s 1966 comedy crime caper.
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Directed by Michael Hoffman ('The Last Station', 'The Emperor's Club', 'One Fine Day')
Starring Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz, Alan Rickman, Stanley Tucci, Cloris Leachman, Tom Courtenay
Written by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 4 providers
Flicks Review
BY James Croot Flicks Writer
With its eccentric names (Shahbandar), double entendres and slap(stick) and tickle, it’s easy to see what drew the Coen boys to remaking Ronald Neame’s The Pink Panther-meets-The Thomas Crown Affair tale. But while the opening Fritz Freleng-inspired animated credits scream 1960s, this Trans-Atlantic update’s sensibilities are far more in line with the noughties' Duplicity or The Matador. ... More
Although Rickman deliciously hams it up as Gambit's repulsive billionaire, Firth is hardly stretched in the hapless Englishman role and Diaz is all Daisy Dukes and drawl. Tom Courtenay’s voiceover is also something of a distraction, an extra level of abstraction the film could have done without.
Director Hoffman keeps the action zipping along, while also throwing in some nice match shots and choreographed set pieces (one sequence involving multiple rooms at the Savoy Hotel is a true highlight).
Slighter and fluffier than the original, this Gambit does allow the Coens to showcase their ability to find just the right level of farce, tasteful nudity and general shenanigans for the film to not outstay its welcome, while admittedly not lingering long in the memory.Hide
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Gambit (2012)
BY jaynine superstar
With such a star-studded cast you expect the best but when it comes to this film its short of being the best it could have been. Admittedly there were scenes which were hilarious but overall the plot could have been developed and likewise with the acting.
BY delarge101 superstar
The Coen brothers' script is a major let-down, and the director seems to be on auto-pilot. There are a few laughs to be had, but Colin Firth and Alan Rickman seem bored, and Cameron Diaz's cringe-worthy attempt at a southern accent makes this a very forgettable film.
The Press Reviews
19%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Big laughs are missing. This just about gets away with it rather than romps off with the loot. Full Review
An awful lot of talent has been put to waste here. Full Review
Even with a script by the Coen brothers, this contemporary London caper movie falls far short of its potential even as a lightweight comic romp. Full Review
Make it stop! Oh please just make it stop! Full Review
[A] leaden, lethargic affair, based on a 10-year-old script by the Coen brothers that feels like a first draft at best. Full Review
Middling in every respect. Full Review
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