This 1971 crime caper comedy was a real treat even though it unravels a bit at the end. Joe Collins (Warren Beatty, REDS) is a security expert for a German bank run by Mr. Kessel (Gert Frobe, GOLDFINGER). Collins is working an inside job with an ex-American showgirl, current German prostitute named Dawn Divine (Goldie Hawn, SUGARLAND EXPRESS). Dawn has clients who are working illegal jobs and have been putting money in the German bank where Collins works.
The film chronicles the set-up of the crime and shows how it plays out. Collins and Divine target criminals because they won’t go to the cops. However, when the criminals find out, Collins and Divine are on a race for their lives.
The third act is a 30-minute chase scene, which works at times and seems to drag at times. The highlight is the set-up and carrying out of the robbery. Like some of the best heist films, just watching the criminals in action is thrilling and filled with tension.
I really liked Hawn’s performance as Dawn because she seemed nervous and enraptured by the crime, which adds to the tension. I also liked Frobe as the bumbling bank manager. He has some of the biggest laughs in the film. It’s funny, crafty and well written. Despite its drawn out ending, the film is a great funny twist on the heist flick.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
