Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 1988 Comedy Film
Steve Martin and Michael Caine Star as Rival Con Men
Sep 13, 2009
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a charming and funny story about a pair of con men attempting to force each other out of town by extorting a large sum of money from a wealthy woman. It is not officially a remake of 1964's Bedtime Story starring Marlon Brando and David Niven but follows a very similar story.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' Plot and Characters
Lawrence Jamieson (Caine) is a suave, sophisticated and intelligent man. He lives in a mansion in the town of Beaumont-sur-Mer on the French Riviera and is a con artist. He works his magic in several hotels under the watchful eye of friend and Police Inspector Andre (Anton Rodgers) who receives a cut of his profits. Jamieson’s idyllic life is threatened by a report of another con artist working in France nicknamed the ‘Jackal’.
Soon afterward Jamieson spots a rival con artist at work, a cocky American named Freddy Benson (Martin) whom he believes to be the Jackal. Benson specialises in small time cons and it is not until he sees Jamieson in action that he realises how far a con can be taken. He convinces a reluctant Jamieson to teach him the tricks of the trade, something Jamieson does only to force Benson out of town.
Benson realises what Jamieson is up to and the two finally come to a gentleman’s agreement.
As Beaumont-sur-Mer is too small for two con artists to operate, they decide that the town will go to the one who can extort 50,000 dollars from the kind and wonderfully naive Janet Colgate (Glenne Headly).
A Charming and Funny Film
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is from a time when Steve Martin was on magnificent form. In recent years his films have fallen rather flat, but during the 1980s and 1990s he was one of the finest comic actors in the world. His portrayal of the cocky and confident Benson is the perfect nemesis for the sophisticated and clever Jamieson played by the Hollywood giant Michael Caine. The two leads have terrific onscreen presence on their own and together they make Dirty Rotten Scoundrels a timeless comedy that is as funny today as it was when it was made.
Caine and Martin are matched by Headly’s performance as the charming and brilliantly naive Janet. As the story develops the audience will be cheering for the con men and laughing hysterically as the two try to outdo one another and extract the agreed sum of money from the wealthy Janet.
Both con artists manage to do a lot of improvisation with each running cons within cons. The audience will be captivated by the delightful story of con artists. Jamieson is a respectable con man and will never extort someone who cannot afford it, he targets the stupidly rich, those who will not miss a few thousand dollars. This does set him at odds with Benson who believes that anyone (especially women) can be conned.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' director Frank Oz keeps the audience guessing about the outcome of the bet until the closing moments and no one will be disappointed by the outcome.
All in all Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a great feel-good film and with keep the audience laughing all the way through. Truly great actors can make their portrayals of characters seem effortless, and both Martin and Caine suit their roles perfectly.
9/10
Anyone seeking a clever, funny and charming comedy should waste no time in tracking down a copy of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
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