Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

Director: Frank Oz

Writers: Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning

Cast: Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, Antone Rodgers, Barbara Harris, Ian McDiarmid

Synopsis:

Lawrence Jamieson (Caine) earns his living by conning wealthy and corrupt women in the French Riviera by posing as a deposed European prince who needs money to finance his secret war to liberate his oppressed people. He encounters small-time con man Freddie Benson (Martin), whose presence in the small resort town of Beaumont-sur-Mer could jeopardize everything Lawrence has worked to achieve. Lawrence and his friend, local police chief Andre (Rodgers), believe Freddie is the notorious Jackal, a con man whose true identity is unknown, working his way through Europe. To get Freddie out gracefully, Lawrence takes him in and tries to get him out of the area gracefully. When this fails, the pair devise a bet in which the winner is the first to solicit $50,000 from the American Soap Queen Janet Colgate (Headly), while the loser must leave Beaumont-sur-Mer forever. Hilarity ensues.

First Impressions

I think I may have seen this movie in theaters when I was around 12 years old, though Lord knows why. Most of the jokes went right over my head, and the subject matter was a little too adult for a kid my age. Nevertheless, my parents thought it was fine for me to watch (man, I loved the 80s), so watch it I did. I remember enjoying Martin's antics as Freddie and got a kick out of the slapstick humor. The dry, witty humor prevalent in the film didn't appeal to me until I was much older. This has sat atop my list as one of my favorite comedies of all time. Unfortunately, it's rarely mentioned when bringing up great comedy films of the 80s (one of the reasons I do this blog in the first place). It's been a fair bit of time since I watched this, so let's see how it holds up.

Story/Direction: 

"Listen. We're the weaker sex. Men don't live as long as women. We get more heart attacks, more strokes, more prostate trouble."

I've learned to appreciate this film's story over time. It didn't really interest me as a kid, and I was more concerned about the slapstick nonsense. However, as an adult, I've found there is a clever little movie here. Make no mistake, it's not a terribly high concept or complicated plot at all, but it's a fun little romp with a satisfying twist at the end. As with all comedies from this era, I'm always concerned about whether the jokes will hold up and based on this film's subject matter, I was legitimately concerned that much of the humor wouldn't have aged well in this era of heightened awareness. But I'm happy to say that the humor holds up...for the most part. While Lawrence and Freddie are both pretty slimy guys, they don't come off as sinister. In fact, Freddie is basically a boob, and Lawrence has somewhat of a conscience (though a bit twisted). However, there is one plot turn (which I won't spoil) that is a little...ehhhhh...but, overall, the humor holds up.

The film was directed by Frank Oz (yes, that Frank Oz), and he does a decent job behind the camera. The movie is paced well, and the 110-minute runtime just flies by. This is because there's minimal background or exposition required to set up the characters, and Oz manages t introduce us to both main characters with just a couple of short scenes in the first act. Speaking of acts, I found it interesting that the type of humor offered by the film shifted depending on which act it was in. The opening act relies on some very dry and witty British-style humor, while the second act really amps up the slapstick silliness before finally shifting back to witty humor. I found this really helped the film flow better. 

The only gripe I have with the film, story-wise, is that the third act seemed a bit rushed. They did such a good job setting everything up in the first two acts that it seems like the writers didn't know how to get us through to the end, which was very satisfying. It's not bad or anything, just a bit rushed.

Acting/Characters:

There are three leads in this film, and I'll cover each in turn. First, let's talk about the great Steve Martin. I'm not sure there was a better comedic actor in the 80s than Martin. He can do completely ridiculous buffoonery and vulnerable sincerity in equal measure. There's certainly more of the former in this film, but he gives Freddie a loveable loser vibe that makes a fairly reprehensible character more endearing.

Martin's co-lead, Michael Caine, plays the definite straight man for this duo. I'm not sure there is a more versatile actor working today than Caine. He seems more than comfortable in any genre, whether it's drama, comedy, sci-fi, superhero or any other type of film. As Jamieson, he plays the stylish and snobbish rogue to a tee. Like Martin, he makes an unlikable character likable. His chemistry with Martin is aces, and the pair bounce off each other well. It's one of the reasons the film works.

Finally, there's Glenne Headly as Janet, the unsuspecting mark of the two con men. Headly plays Janet as equal parts naive and caring. She forms a quick bond with Freddie, and much of the film's second half is driven by this relationship. Janet's arc (if you can call it that) is certainly the most fleshed out for any character in the film and the most satisfying. I wish I could go into more detail, but we're edging into spoiler territory.

Visual/Special Effects:

Move along - nothing to see here. There's not a speck of special effects anywhere in this movie. However, the film's setting on the French Riviera is pretty fantastic to look at. 

Score/Soundtrack:

I love the music in this film, and it's one of the few 80s films whose music doesn't serve to date it too much. Composed by MIles Goodman, the score gives off a similar vibe to the screwball comedies of the 60s and 70s like It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and Scavenger Hunt. Goodman somehow manages to infuse the music with both a sophisticated and goofball feel, and it works. Plus, I'm still humming it days after viewing, so that's always a good sign.

Action:

There's minimal action in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, but there are many slapstick antics, which are done well. As I've written before, I love slapstick because it's one type of comedy that ages well and appeals to many different types of people. The brand of slapstick used in this film doesn't use a lot of pratfalls and people getting hit on the head, but some of the movie's funniest moments come from its slapstick. 

Final Verdict:

I still love this movie, and it still ranks as one of my favorite comedies ever. Fans of Martin or Caine should definitely check it out, as should fans of comedies in general.