Coen brother script fails from muddled attempts at slapstick, writes Mark Orton.
Director: Michael Hoffman
Cast: Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz, Alan Rickman, Stanley Tucci, Tom Courtenay, Togo Igawa
Rating: (M)
2 stars (out of 5)
A film written and scripted by the Coen brothers but not actually directed by them should raise a few eyebrows.
Either they are too busy elsewhere or don't think that it is strong enough to bother with. Whatever the truth, and as hackneyed as the premise is, Gambit would very likely have been a much better film if it was helmed by a team that understood farce, timing and good old-fashioned slapstick.
As a remake of the 1966 film featuring Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine, the basis for Gambit is a lot less interesting than the complicated process of securing a cast and director to make it. Perhaps that explains the tepid performances of all involved.
Colin Firth plays Harry Deane, an art curator who decides to pull a swiftie on his narcissistic boss, Lord Shabandar (Alan Rickman). Fashioning a scam to trick Shabandar into purchasing a fake Monet, Deane enlists the help of Texas rodeo star P.J. Puznowski (Cameron Diaz).
A little far-fetched but a plausible setup if only the film didn't start tripping over itself with some muddled attempts at slapstick.
Still, there is enough in the plot to convince you that something profound is waiting in the wings, which is even more frustrating.
Aside from amusing cameos by Stanley Tucci as a German art expert and Tom Courtenay as the archetypal ''major'', Gambit is the type of film that all involved will probably hope disappears quietly so they can move on unscathed.
Best thing: Stanley Tucci hamming it up as Zaidenweber, the German art critic.
Worst thing: The execution: nothing is remotely surprising or even that funny.
See it with: Time to kill.
