Dirty Rotten Scoundrels DVD > Reviews > You bounder

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Good

Advantages:	Very funny, classy comedy, great cast, good setting, good story line
Disadvantages:	None for me

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Steve Martin and Michael Caine co-star in this very funny 1988 film of deception and double deception set on the French Riviera. Caine as an aging, English, fake aristocratic, gigolo is perfect, as is Martin as the younger, rough and ready, philanderer who still has a lot to learn. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a remake of a 1960's film which starred David Niven and Marlon Brando playing the leading roles.

Set in a fictional, French resort Michael Caine as Laurence Jamieson has been making a good living by way of duping gullible females out of their cash. In league with the local head of police, played by Anton Rogers, he has a nice little earner set up. When Freddy Benson, played by Steve Martin, arrives in town with pretty much the same mission in mind things start to go wrong. The town of Beaumont-sur-Mer is just not big enough for two such operators. Laurence tries all means both fair and foul to get rid of Freddy but with no success. Freddy seems to survive every trick in the book and so another means of getting rid of him decided upon.

The pair decide to have a competition to prove who is the best con man come gigolo with the outcome being that the loser must leave town. During their fight for the heart and money of Janet, played by Glenne Headly, there are some very funny scenes. I will not mention too much as I do not want to spoil the reader's viewing experience. I shall just give one example. When Freddy pretends to be a crippled war hero and Laurence pretends to be a doctor who, by hook or by crook, will get Freddy walking again I laughed fit to burst. As Laurence runs at Freddy and lashes his supposedly numb legs with extreme force Freddy's eyes water with the pain. As Laurence says to Janet 'look he is crying with pleasure'.

Michael Caine and Steve Martin are just so funny in their respective roles. Michael Caine's character is suave and sophisticated whilst Steve Martin's is just that of a tramp. I have watched this film many times and still find it very funny. The twist at the end may be a little predictable to some but for me the first time I watched this film it caught me unawares.

If you like your humour classy at times with almost slapstick and farce thrown in occasionally then this film should entertain and amuse you. Despite being twenty years old it is not really dated.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was directed by Frank Oz and more recently a stage musical has been made of this film.

Thanks for reading
(C) Eiley 2008