ViewGuide

Created May 17, 2009 01:39PM PST • Edited May 17, 2009 10:40PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Barely OK 2.0

   A miscast Sean Connery anchors this disappointing caper movie from the early 70s. It hasn’t aged well. Slow moving and dependent on the wonder of then cutting-edge audio and video taping, the movie is more relic than riveting.

   That said, it seems like a perfect redo, a la Ocean’s Eleven. Done with some style, it could really rock.

4. Acting

   Good 3.0

   The great Connery doesn’t resonate as a bad guy. Dyan Cannon, as the kept woman who reserves her primary sexual favors for him, ably heats up the proceedings. Too bad it’s in service to a lost cause of a movie.

   The movie draws notice for several supporting actors.

   • Martin Balsam plays a mildly flaming interior decorator who is repeatedly referred to as a “fag.” This must have seemed progressive at the time.
   • Christopher Walken makes his film debut here, though he’s not especially memorbable.
   • Garrett Morris, later of Saturday Night Live and Hunter fame, plays a small role.
   • Alan King ably plays a mafia tough guy.

5. Male Stars Good 3.0

6. Female Stars Very Good 3.5

7. Female Costars OK 2.5

8. Male Costars Very Good 3.5

10. Film

    Barely OK 2.0

    Directed by the great Sidney Lumet, this film can’t be considered one of his greater works. Certainly it’s not in the same league as Serpico, which he would go on to direct a couple of years later.

11. Direction OK 2.5

12. Play Barely OK 2.0

13. Music Pretty Bad 1.5

    The soundtrack makes a fetish of tape machine beeps and honks, using them repetitively to delineate scenes. While this works in a crude sort of way, it becomes more than a little annoying.

14. Visuals Good 3.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.9

17. Sex Titillating 2.1

18. Violence Fierce 2.0

19. Rudeness Salty 1.7

21. Reality

    Glib 1.2

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.7

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0