Truly Dreadful Film

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Dortmunder: "Not me. I've got no choice. I'm not superstitious. And I don't believe in jinxes, but that stone's jinxed me and it won't let go. I've been damned near bitten, shot at, peed on and robbed. And worse is gonna happen before it's done. So I'm takin' my stand. I'm going all the way. Either I get it, or it gets me."What I liked most about this movie, is that it stays pretty true to the Westlake book, not just in plot, but in spirit too! I would never have pictured Redford for Dortmunder, but it does work! And the rest of the crew works too! I enjoyed how this all came together, and I'm surprised in this era of remakes that this hasn't been done too! And I'm glad, as it holds up! Well, except that super long helicopter sequence. Umm, editing?

Starring Robert Redford in his prime, this movie is one of several from the period that are nowhere near as smart of as slick as they pretend.As a comedy drama/crime caper it strolls along with an air of smug satisfaction than often seems to drag. It's a very dated, 1970's piece. The dialogue is pretentious. Some of the heists and foul-ups are just too contrived. Comparing it with the 'The Italian Job' of 3 years earlier, really highlights its short-comings in characterisation.There is no stand-out event to raise this movie beyond the very ordinary. I mostly remember it for the bizarre 'Afghanistan banana-stand' exclamation, which sounds like something Mary Poppins might have uttered.There's a typically overblown jazz theme and incidental music that tries to endorse its hip pretensions but only leaves it sounding like so many others. Check-out 'Pelham 123' to see how it should be done.It's the only Redford movie that I can't recommend. But every actor makes at least one lemon in his lifetime.

If this film hadn't been based on one of Donald Westlake's funniest novels, I might have liked it a lot more. As it is, I feel that Robert Redford is totally out of place cast as the middle-age, overweight, worn down, pessimistic John Dortmunder, who never pulls off a caper all right. The film does retain some (but not all) of the hilarious attempts to steal the Balabomo emerald (for reasons unknown renamed the Sahara diamond in the film).But sadly, the film is slooow. The helicopter flight alone could be trimmed by several minutes without losing any action, and the same goes for several other scenes. If the unnecessary footage had been left out, another caper could have been squeezed in.

I saw this movie in its original theatrical release and have seen it again many times since. It is one of the funniest movies ever made. The script, the performances, the direction, and production are all outstanding. Redford's performance is as good as if not better than his efforts in Butch Cassidy and The Sting. Zero Mostel is as always delightful. The soundtrack, hip and jazzy, is perfect. What's not to like? A true gem of a comedy/drama. The high point of virtually all careers involved. Thanks to this review, I have learned that the movie's script was based on a novel, one of a series of novels, which I plan on reading.