The Coen Brothers have long been revered as contemporary American cinema’s almighty saviours. Many a time, they have successfully bridged mainstream and arthouse fare to bring us their own brand of black humour, often eclectically concocted together with some particularly unforgiving violence. The Coens’ success lies primarily in their ability to write sophisticated dialogue, effectively appropriated to larger-than-life characters, wildly exaggerated circumstances and slick visuals. Gambit is a remake of Ronald Neame’s 1966 movie, this time directed by Michael Hoffman and written by the talented twosome.
Is it any good? Well, sort of.
When art curator Harry Deane (Colin Firth) teams up together with Texas rodeo queen PJ Puznowski (Cameron Diaz) to trick his cold-hearted boss Lord Lionel Shabandar (Alan Rickman) into buying a fake Monet, he views the end result a little too optimistically. Unfortunately, the bespectacled buffoon loses his confidence, his wildly capricious Texan and erm, his pants……at the Savoy Hotel.
Gambit has received disastrous reviews from critics, many of whom were clearly expecting gold from the usually sensational siblings. Are these critiques unfounded? Not entirely. Firth does disappoint as the bumbling Clouseau-esque curator: slapstick is clearly not his forte. As the picture progresses, he becomes embarrassingly unfunny, to the point where one wishes he would simply stop trying to emulate Peter Sellers. I suspect Hoffman’s shady direction is to blame.
Contrastingly, Rickman radiates as the unpleasant Shabandar, spectacularly dislikable and eccentric. The actor is continually typecast as the miserable grump, however he frequently manages to pull it off with great gusto. Normally used to supporting roles as the antagonist, it really is time Rickman was cast as the lead protagonist. Unsurprisingly, the picture’s real prowess lies in the genius of its writing – witty and eloquent, rarely ever missing a beat. The conclusion is such that one does feel genuinely happy for Firth’s lead, irritating as he may be.
Gambit is certainly not an indicator of the Coens at their zenith; that prize goes to No Country and Fargo, both behemoths they directed. Neither is it the dynamic duo at their nadir: remember The Ladykillers? It lies somewhere in between these two realms, perhaps closer to the latter, if I was to be harsh. One almost wishes the Coens would stop trying to churn out a script a year and instead follow Paul Thomas Anderson’s example: quality not quantity, anyone? Nevertheless, Gambit is good fun; it may not be the tour de force critics were expecting but it is thoroughly enjoyable.
Stars - ★★★
Reviewed by Rehan Mudannayake
Gambit (2012)
Comedy | Crime
An art curator decides to seek revenge on his abusive boss by conning him into buying a fake Monet, but his plan requires the help of an eccentric and unpredictable Texas rodeo queen.
Director: Michael Hoffman
Writers: Ethan Coen (screenplay), Joel Coen (screenplay)
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