Gambit

 

Gambit 1966

• Director: Ronald Neame
• Seen by this director: The Poseidon Adventure, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
• Based on the novel: No.
• Cast: Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine, Herbert Lom, John Abbot
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Michael Caine – Interstellar, Batman x 3, Inception, Harry Brown, Flawless, Flawless, Children of Men, Last Orders, The Cider House Rules, Little Voice, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Sleuth 1972, Educating Rita, Alfie
• Shirley MacLaine – Downton Abbey, Rumour Has It, In Her Shoes, Defending Your Life, Guarding Tess, Postcards from the Edge, Steel Magnolias, Terms of Endearment, Sweet Charity, The Yellow Rolls Royce, Around the World in 80 Days, The Trouble with Harry
• Herbert Lom – The Pink Panther etc, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, El Cid, Spartacus, Third Man on the Mountain
• John Abbott – various series from the 60s
• Why? Caine and MacLaine
• Seen: Once before when it came out. Now 24 October 2020      

       ‘You’re a clever girl, and I love you.’ I’ve remembered that line all these years. Caine is playing Harry who is planning a heist to steal a priceless sculpture. The clever girl is Nicola (MacLaine), a nightclub dancer who, for a very good reason, is helping him. I also remember when Harry asks, ‘Do I look like a crook?’ and she smiles mischievously and said, ‘You do, a little.’

       She is indeed clever, as is the film. MacLaine does what she does best – the streetwise, sharp-witted showgirl – and Caine does what he does best – the cheeky upstart Cockney who isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks he is.

       I’m enjoying this as much as I did the first time. I’m not a great fan of heist films, and this is after all just a heist film, but MacLaine and Caine raise it to

 4* of 5