Aram AvakianCritiques

Great heist film that sees small-time diamond broker Howard Chesser (Charles Grodin) and rich dilettante girlfriend Maren (Candice Bergen) being blackmailed into leading the robbery of an ultra-secure diamond exchange based at 11 Harrowhouse. Directed with plenty of cool style by Aram Avakian who manages to balance the overall tongue-in-cheek style, with a clever, tense heist (the centrepiece of which is a cockroach and a slice of chocolate cake) with a climatic comedic car chase with a difference. Chesser provides a wry, dry self-deprecating narration that adds both character depth and a touch of subtle sarcastic humour. Grodin and Bergen make for a nice leading couple but it's the supporting characters that really shine. John Gielgud as Meecham, the elitist establishment head of 11 Harrowhouse and Trevor Howard as Massey, the rich industrialist with a line in violent eccentricity are both excellent. James Mason, however, excels as the repressed Charles Watts, the loyal lifelong company man who becomes the heist insider. All these elements come together to create a witty, moody and slyly humorous film with a subtle line in ironic self-parody.½

PG Chevy Chase, Jack Palance, Dianne Wiest, and Robert Davi (DVD - 2001)