'Gambit' an unmitigated mess

Michael Hoffman’s remake of the 1966 screwball caper about a cat burglar and showgirl who plan an elaborate heist has impeccable credentials.

'Gambit' an unmitigated mess

Michael Hoffman’s remake of the 1966 screwball caper about a cat burglar and showgirl who plan an elaborate heist has impeccable credentials.

Screenwriters Joel and Ethan Coen have Oscars on the mantelpiece for ‘Fargo’ and ‘No Country For Old Men’, and leading man Colin Firth deservedly collected a golden statuette for his exemplary work in ‘The King’s Speech’.

Co-star Tom Courtenay was twice shortlisted for Hollywood’s top honour for ‘Doctor Zhivago’ and ‘The Dresser’, while Hoffman himself guided Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer to Oscar nominations in 2009 for the handsome historical drama ‘The Last Station’.

With so much talent in front of and behind the camera, what could possibly go wrong?

Everything, it seems, because Hoffman’s reworking is an unmitigated mess.

Firth loses his trousers for a protracted centrepiece sequence at the luxurious five-star Savoy hotel in London but #wheezing and spluttering from one clumsy gag to the next.

Mild-mannered art curator Harry Deane (Firth) grows tired of the constant bullying of his obscenely wealthy boss, Lord Lionel Shabandar (Alan Rickman).

So he concocts an elaborate swindle to teach his employer a lesson.

With the help of loyal friend and forger The Major (Courtenay), Harry travels to Texas to befriend rodeo queen PJ Puznowski (Cameron Diaz) and her tobacco-spittin’ grandma (Cloris Leachman).

Harry asks the blonde beauty to pose as the owner of a priceless Monet called ‘Haystacks At Dusk’, which Shabandar is desperate to acquire as a companion canvas to the other Haystacks in his private collection.

The masterpiece is actually a fake painted by The Major but Harry is convinced he can pull the wool over Shabandar’s greedy eyes.

Thrilled by the prospect of a sizeable payoff, PJ travels to London to carry out her part of the plan and Shabandar is clearly smitten by her “invigorating lack of decorum”.

However, he is less convinced by the authenticity of the painting and calls in his own expert, the flamboyant Zaidenweber (Stanley Tucci), which throws Harry’s preposterous plan into disarray.

1611606

Gambit is a shambles.

We laugh out of pity and embarrassment as the script blunders from dream sequences that suggest Harry might actually pull off his hare-brained heist to Austin Powers-style nudity that protects Rickman’s modesty with a generously proportioned paperweight.

The only award Firth will be collecting is a dreaded Razzie, which salutes the worst in Hollywood film-making.

“This is absurd,” despairs Firth, standing half naked on the Savoy hotel ledge as he stares down on passing black cabs.

You said it, Colin.

Star Rating: 2/5

more courts articles

Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman
Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt

More in this section

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez divorce after nearly three years
Rust armourer requests new trial and release from prison after conviction Rust armourer requests new trial and release from prison after conviction
The 96th Academy Awards - Vanity Fair Party - Los Angeles Tallulah Willis reveals autism diagnosis: ‘It’s changed my life’
Lifestyle
Newsletter

The best food, health, entertainment and lifestyle content from the Irish Examiner, direct to your inbox.

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited