Now here’s a movie with pizzazz with a capital “P”. It’s thrilling from start to finish and there isn’t a dead spot anywhere. I thoroughly enjoyed this one: smart script, fine cast, cool scenery, terrific gadgetry, good stunts.
I was especially appreciative of the fact that Sean Connery, the main producer of the film, was smart enough to keep the romance theme in check. A 68-year old actor playing a 60- year old character romancing a 20-something year old young lady would have been just too much for me even though that’s par for the Hollywood course. Nevertheless, Connery still cuts a dashing figure in a tuxedo.
Sean Connery plays a master art thief named Mac and Catherine Zeta-Jones is “Gin” the insurance investigator trying to do him in. But there are twists and turns in the relationship throughout the film that keep you guessing who’s fooling whom. Jones is a beautiful competent actress and in case you didn’t know from her stint in The Mask of Zorro, she’s actually Welsh. Ving Rhames plays Mac’s partner, who’s slighted after Gin comes on board.
The thievery is filled with magnificent planning, nifty outfits and spectacular gadgets. Even if you’re not planning to rifle the Louvre, you’d want to have some of these cute little “can do” items.
There’s a Rembrandt painting stolen cleverly from a New York high rise, a gold Chinese mask deftly removed from a London Palace, and a terrific plan to re-route a mere 8-billion dollars from and International Clearance Bank in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, all within 16 days of the Millennium. That ought to put the Y2K people on notice. Believable? Of course not, but the script is very very tight and the Malaysia episode involves a very daring, thrilling escape and Connery hardly takes a breather.
Lotta says this is what movie making is all about. A smart action-thriller that keeps you in the seat.