Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

This is, if not the best movie ever, one of them! Michael Caine and Steve Martin in the roles as con-men is perfect and Frank Oz' directing is excellent. If you have not seen this movie yet you are lucky, you got one of the best comedies ever before you! A masterpiece!

Fmovies: "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is no longer a new film, but it's not showing its age, which I guess is a sign of a classic. I've seen it recently, and was not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised!

With performances by can't-fail actors Steve Martin and Michael Caine, the film is zany, with a little toilet humor but mostly doesn't insult one's intelligence, and is far better than "All of Me" and just short of "A Fish Called Wanda", and "Roxanne", which unlike this film includes some romance.

Who should see this film:

-- Zany comedy film lovers: a must-see. If you're new to

Steve Martin, try Bowfinger first.

-- Safe as a kids / family film

I'll give "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" a surprisingly resilient 9 out of 10.

It brings tears to my eyes seeing the resolve of "Freddie" (Steve Martin), the jilted-paralyzed vet, getting whacked on the run by Con Man-buddy "Dr. Schuffhausen" (Michael Caine). You can hear the swooshing of the silky satin suit as the Dr. backs up, antelopes towards Freddie, and positively cracks his shins with the sting of a whip-like stem. The look on Steve Martin's face as he fights the tears to preserve his character is priceless!

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels fmovies. Director Frank Oz landed the dream team from comedic heaven when Steve Martin and Michael Caine signed on to star in this hilarious comedy of manners and mannerisms, `Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,' a film that manages to be entertaining without being offensive in any way, and features some terrific performances and-- filmed on location in the French Riviera-- some beautiful cinematography by Michael Ballhaus. Made in 1988, this film not only holds up well, but seems so refreshing after a decade of `American Pies' and other such fare featuring one witless, forgettable `talent' after another. It's a reminder that true comedy can have sophistication without necessarily being sophisticated, and that real humor is timeless. This is stuff that was good when it was made, is even better today, and will have you laughing even harder at it twenty, thirty or fifty years from now.

Freddy Benson (Martin) is a small time American con man/aspiring gigolo traveling abroad with his sights set on the Riviera, specifically Beaumont Sur Mer, which he understands is easy pickings for a talent such as his. Why, on the train into town alone, he bilks a compassionate young woman out of dinner and twenty dollars, using the old I'm-saving-up-for-my-dear-old-grandmother's-operation ploy. On that same train, however, observing Freddy's operation from across the aisle, is Lawrence Jamieson (Caine), a big time con artist/gigolo, who as it happens, lives in Beaumont Sur Mer. And instantly, Jamieson looks upon Freddy with disdain; after all, this is a man who has perfected the art of bilking rich young women for sums that fall into five and six digits by successfully masquerading as a Prince or some such Nobility, who needs vast sums of money in order to `save' his country from the Communists, an unspecified opposition, or whatever else will work. Furthermore, it's taken a lot of time and effort to get to where he's at, and he's not about to let the unseemly Freddy Benson cut into his act.

So with the help of his associate ( a local policeman), Inspector Andre (Anton Rodgers), Jamieson sets out to `discourage' Freddy from attempting to get a foothold in Beaumont Sur Mer. But Freddy, it turns out, may not be the unwitting amateur Jamieson presumed him to be-- Andre has just received word that an elusive con artist has arrived in the area; a professional known only as `The Jackal.' And so, the game is afoot; a game that will ultimately bring Jamieson and Freddy closer together, and involve them with a wealthy American named Janet Colgate (Glenne Headly), who will become the focus of more than just a little attention before it's all over. it becomes a contest between the suave Lawrence Jamieson and the unruly Freddy Benson. And the winner? Well, by the end it's clear who the real winner is here-- and without a doubt, it's the audience.

Oz must have had a good time making this movie, because he had all the tools available to him from the best of both worlds. There's the broad, physical humor employed and perfectly delivered by Martin, and the subtle, studied approach that Caine uses. Their styles contrast wonderfully, and Oz certainly makes the most of it. He's put together some scenes that are beyond hilarious, like the one in which Lawrence attempts tutoring Freddy in the art of being suave and sophisticated; or when-- as part of a scam-- Freddy takes on the role of `Ruprecht,' Lawrence's incorrigible, moronic brother. It's in these scenes that Oz se

I cannot believe that the first time I saw this - one of my favorite comedies - I was not enamored of it. Subsequent viewings have given it an honored place on my roster of great comedies. What fun Caine and Martin must have working with each other on this one; their enthusiasm certainly shows in the results. Best line: "One must know one's limitations, Freddy. You are a moron." Definitely a must-see for comedy aficionados.

I really don't watch this movie often enough. The few times I've seen it over the years provide superior entertainment, but it's a film I seem to forget about. That shouldn't be the case: it's a terrific movie.

I've never met anyone who did NOT like this movie. It seems to appeal to a lot of people, young and old. The three leads - Steve Martin, Michael Caine and Glenn Headley - were all in top form, on top of their "game," so to speak.

Martin's facial expressions and physical humor are terrific and Caine played his part magnificently, too. I enjoy Caine much more in here than Martin (and in most films) but Steve seems to have the funniest moments in this movie. At any rate, both are superb as antagonists "Lawrence Jamison" (Caine) and "Freddie Benson" (Martin). The two men have the talent to pull off slapstick as well as subtle comedy. Headley, as "Janet Colgate," meanwhile, is a joy to watch and to listen to, with that sweet voice of hers. I can't say more about her without giving away too much but she is not only the objection of attention in the movie, but the key character. These three combine for almost a laugh-a-minute.

This also is a good example of how to make a modern-day comedy without all the sleaze and profanity. There is some in here, but not much. Why most comedies do not follow this lead is a sad question. It's still an adult movie about con men, not a film teens and below would enjoy. Frank Oz, who directed other pretty clean-and-funny movies, directed this one.

Highly recommended.