This crime comedy, released when I was only two years old, didn't catch my attention until VERY recently, around the time I watched "Bowfinger" for the first time in years this month. That film was directed by Frank Oz and features Steve Martin as one of the two co-stars, just like this one. That was how I discovered "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", a remake of a 1964 film called "Bedtime Story", which I've never seen. In fact, I watched this 1988 film not knowing it was based on any picture that was made before it. I was expecting this movie to be at least slightly better than "Bowfinger", even though that 1999 comedy is pretty funny, but my expectations may have been a little too high. For a while, I was getting disappointed, but fortunately, this didn't last.
Freddy Benson and Lawrence Jamieson are two con artists who make a living out of swindling rich women. After a successful operation, Lawrence is on a train on his way back to Beaumont-sur-Mer, France, where he currently resides. It is during this train ride when he first meets Freddy, after watching him bilking a woman by making up a story about having a very sick grandmother. Freddy happens to be on his way to Beaumont-sur-Mer, and Lawrence thinks he might have competition if the two of them are in the same town together, so at the station, he tricks Freddy into staying on the train. However, it isn't long at all before Lawrence sees his rival in town again, and Freddy soon learns that the two of them have the same profession. He gets Lawrence to agree to teach him his conning skills by threatening to expose him if he doesn't. Their rivalry continues to the point where they make a bet. They will see which one of them will be to first to cheat a certain woman out of $50,000, and the loser will leave town.
Freddy is the character Steve Martin plays, and Lawrence is played by Michael Caine. Lawrence is the first of the two leads to appear in the film. The beginning, showing this character just before he meets the other con artist, is not hilarious but sometimes mildly amusing, and Caine already shows his acting talent. Freddy then makes his first appearance on the train, and the first really funny part is here, with the character telling the story of his sick grandmother and then making a massive order of food which his victim has promised to pay for. After this, the movie is not always that funny, but often is, especially with the antics of Martin, in scenes such as the jail cell one, in which his character struggles to try and remember Lawrence's name. I didn't care much for the scene showing Lawrence talking to one of his victims before he introduces her to Freddy posing as Ruprecht, though I did find the part where Freddy's mentally challenged alter ego is introduced funny, even if some are bound to find it offensive. There also might be a lot of subtle humour which I didn't get. Still, there are lots of funny parts, and it gets better later on, with Freddy posing as a traumatized soldier and Lawrence posing as a psychiatrist. At this point, it gets funnier and also a bit more exciting.
I already mentioned that I haven't seen "Bedtime Story", the 1964 comedy starring Marlon Brando and David Niven, which this 1988 film is based on. Even though remakes are often inferior to originals, I obviously don't know how these two in particular compare, but I guess I'm not the only one who has seen "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" but not "Bedtime Story", since this film seems to be more widely recognized today. I'm sure I will see the original someday, but in the meantime, I will say that overall, this remake is a funny crime comedy, and the two leads actors, Steve Martin and Michael Caine, are both very impressive in their roles, even if Martin is the one who provides most of the humour. The supporting cast is mostly good as well. A lot of people probably like this movie better than "Bowfinger", and I can't say I'm one of them, but I would say both of them are pretty funny and worth watching if you're a fan of the co-stars.
Freddy Benson and Lawrence Jamieson are two con artists who make a living out of swindling rich women. After a successful operation, Lawrence is on a train on his way back to Beaumont-sur-Mer, France, where he currently resides. It is during this train ride when he first meets Freddy, after watching him bilking a woman by making up a story about having a very sick grandmother. Freddy happens to be on his way to Beaumont-sur-Mer, and Lawrence thinks he might have competition if the two of them are in the same town together, so at the station, he tricks Freddy into staying on the train. However, it isn't long at all before Lawrence sees his rival in town again, and Freddy soon learns that the two of them have the same profession. He gets Lawrence to agree to teach him his conning skills by threatening to expose him if he doesn't. Their rivalry continues to the point where they make a bet. They will see which one of them will be to first to cheat a certain woman out of $50,000, and the loser will leave town.
Freddy is the character Steve Martin plays, and Lawrence is played by Michael Caine. Lawrence is the first of the two leads to appear in the film. The beginning, showing this character just before he meets the other con artist, is not hilarious but sometimes mildly amusing, and Caine already shows his acting talent. Freddy then makes his first appearance on the train, and the first really funny part is here, with the character telling the story of his sick grandmother and then making a massive order of food which his victim has promised to pay for. After this, the movie is not always that funny, but often is, especially with the antics of Martin, in scenes such as the jail cell one, in which his character struggles to try and remember Lawrence's name. I didn't care much for the scene showing Lawrence talking to one of his victims before he introduces her to Freddy posing as Ruprecht, though I did find the part where Freddy's mentally challenged alter ego is introduced funny, even if some are bound to find it offensive. There also might be a lot of subtle humour which I didn't get. Still, there are lots of funny parts, and it gets better later on, with Freddy posing as a traumatized soldier and Lawrence posing as a psychiatrist. At this point, it gets funnier and also a bit more exciting.
I already mentioned that I haven't seen "Bedtime Story", the 1964 comedy starring Marlon Brando and David Niven, which this 1988 film is based on. Even though remakes are often inferior to originals, I obviously don't know how these two in particular compare, but I guess I'm not the only one who has seen "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" but not "Bedtime Story", since this film seems to be more widely recognized today. I'm sure I will see the original someday, but in the meantime, I will say that overall, this remake is a funny crime comedy, and the two leads actors, Steve Martin and Michael Caine, are both very impressive in their roles, even if Martin is the one who provides most of the humour. The supporting cast is mostly good as well. A lot of people probably like this movie better than "Bowfinger", and I can't say I'm one of them, but I would say both of them are pretty funny and worth watching if you're a fan of the co-stars.