malcolmi Review of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

I break up just thinking about Ruprecht, the young prince!,

[10/10 · 14 September 2008]

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a comedy with impeccably graceful pace, and inspired characters, made brilliant by the zany energy of Steve Martin playing against the suave craftiness of Michael Caine. Certain moments, especially the first visit to Ruprecht, and the examination technique of Dr Emil Schoffhausen, get me absolutely screaming with laughter every time I watch the film - in fact, every time I think about them! But the perfection of the cast - notably Anton Rogers's laconic police chief, Ian McDiarmid's long-suffering butler, and Barbara Harris's 'Lady Fanny of Omaha' - and the lighthearted beauty of the Mediterranean landscape, are added aspects of the film's perfection. It's a masterpiece of the genre, and you'll watch it with increasing pleasure for the rest of your life.