Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Directed by Frank Oz
- comedy
- crime
The story
Con artist Lawrence Jamieson is a longtime resident of a luxurious coastal resort, where he enjoys the lavish fruits of his deceptions -- that is, until a competitor, Freddy Benson, shows up. When the new guy's lowbrow tactics impinge on his own sophisticated work and believing him to be the infamous conman 'The Jackal', Lawrence resolves to get rid of him. Confident of his own duplicitous talents, he challenges Freddy to a winner-takes-all competition: whoever swindles their latest mark, American heiress Janet Colgate, out of $50,000 first can stay, while the other must leave town.
What it’s like
Sun-washed Riviera days and candlelit dinners in pastel rooms, all bright linen, gold trim and sea-blue shutters, with Frank Oz's camera settling into easy two-shots and patient reaction close-ups that let a grifter's expression do the work. The vibe is silky, playful and mischievous, a warm comic caper with a light touch of cynicism and a wink at its own cleverness. It suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a comfort rewatch, or a relaxed evening when you want to be entertained without being asked to think too hard. The pacing is brisk but unhurried in its set-ups, building through escalating deceptions and rivalry toward a sparkling payoff, and the emotional arc follows two vain, polished rivals who grudgingly discover each other's company. The intensity is gentle: some crude jokes and mild sexual innuendo, a few slapstick mishaps, but no real violence, gore or fear. It is for people who want witty banter, elegant period-flavoured settings and the pleasure of watching clever people outwit one another.
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