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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
AKA Rien ne va plus, July 29, 2001
This review is from: The Swindle [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This rather low key Claude Chabrol thriller which he wrote and directed, and which was the inspiration for the John Flynn 1983 Scam, is more a chuckler than a spine tingler. Isabelle Huppert and Michel Serrault have great chemistry as a father and daughter team of con artists who choose their victims from hotel conventions. The film begins with Huppert seducing a lawnmower salesman and Serrault observing, so that at first we think he is spying on Huppert because he is a hotel detective and on to her. Huppert doesn't even try to hide her duplicity by wearing a terrible and obvious black wig. Serrault is established as the mastermind of their operation, but Huppert upstages him at their next venue, a dentist's convention in St Moritz, when she appears with Francois Cluzet who has a suitcase of stolen money. Chabrol then toys with us with the allegiances of the three, and it's never clear who is trying to con who, until we reach the West Indies and things turn deadly serious. Chabrol underlines the menace of the climactic confrontation by having Tosca playing as Huppert discovers a dead body, and gives the floor of a gangster's house a checkerboard pattern. Hupperts second change of hairstyle may be inexplicable but it is definitely disappointing considering how beautiful she looks with long strawberry blonde hair and wearing dark glasses a la Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity. Chabrol also uses a white colour scheme, from Serrault's hair to the snow in St Moritz, the voluminous dress a dancer wears, and the colour of the family van, and the song Changez Tout at the end became quite popular.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You'll smile throughout, March 29, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: The Swindle [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This is a wonderful movie about larcenous hearts. It's light, breezy tone will remind you of To Catch a Thief and other fun Hitchcock flicks. One of the other people that reviewed this makes one major mistake in his review - this is definitely not a father, daughter team. A lot of the fun is derived from the jealousy that is sparked when Isabella Hupert's character pays more attention to another man. Fantastic, fun crime story. Ocean's 11 wishes it was this funny.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting French Con Game Film, May 8, 2009
This is a very good movie. The Swindle is not a masterpiece, but it has something very fine running through the film. The chemistry between Elizabeth (Isabelle Huppert) and Victor (Michel Serrault) is wonderful. In fact the film almost stands on this chemsitry alone. Huppert is just at the peak of her career in this film, she is a beautiful, mature woman that is very comfortable acting.
There is a certain mystery about the film, will they double cross the double cross, which was a double cross? But that is no where near enough to sustain this film, the story alone would have left me cold. The mystery is pretty well told right up front, we learn Elizabeth and Victor are a couple of con men. They take advantage of a convention attendee in such a way that he never realizes he's been taken. With those facts revealed, the film moves forward to more cons.
What does work, watching these two powerful excellent actors. Chabrol directs beautifully, pacing the film exactly right, cutting away to the perfect shot. It's a high class beautifully made film.
There is a gorgeous scene where a woman with huge white wings dances in front of bright white lights. That scene alone is almost worth the price of admission. The only time the film is heavy handed is the "gangster" scene where Tosca is playing in the background. The music is redundant.
In French with English subtitles.
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