Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (4 Stars)

This is a 1988 comedy film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin as two amiable con men. The film is meant to take place in the modern day, i.e. the late 1980's, but it has a 1950's feeling to it.

Michael Caine is Lawrence Jameson, a sophisticated British con man who exploits rich unmarried women. He pretends to be the prince of an unnamed European country who is looking for money to finance the freedom fighters. They give him money or jewels, whatever they think he may need, and don't suspect a thing. His scams must be successful, based on the villa he owns in Beaumont Sur Mer, a fictional seaside town near Monte Carlo.

While returning home from Zurich by train Lawrence meets a small time American con man, Freddy Benson (Steve Martin). Freddy is happy getting women to buy him a meal or give him $20 to cover his expenses. When they're sitting in a compartment Freddy boasts about his successes, while Lawrence just nods and smiles appreciatively. Freddy is travelling to Beaumont Sur Mer, but Lawrence doesn't want him there. He doesn't think of him as competition, merely an annoyance. As he says, "If a poacher is hunting rabbits he scares away the big game".

Eventually Freddy finds out that Lawrence is a big time con man, and he's impressed. He wants to learn his tricks. They go into operation together, but it isn't a happy partnership. They don't earn anything together that Lawrence couldn't have earned by himself.

Michael Caine is a perfectly suave gentleman. He's so pleasant in his manners that nobody would suspect he's a con man.

Steve Martin is more of a rascal. He blusters his way through his cons like a buffoon, acting so foolishly that nobody can believe he has dishonest plans.

The two men are so perfect in their roles that it's difficult to believe that they weren't the first choices. The film was written for David Bowie and Mick Jagger. That would have made it a very different film. I can hardly imagine how they would have played the roles. After they turned down the film, the part of Lawrence Jameson was offered to John Cleese. Okay, I can imagine him in the role, but I'm glad he turned it down. Michael Caine is the perfect gentleman con man. I can imagine rich heiresses throwing their money at him.

The film is dated, but I don't say that as a criticism. I can't imagine con men working like them today. Modern con men would take women's money after sleeping with them. Not Lawrence and Freddy. They're too refined for that. They only take women's money, not their honour. They're gentlemen rogues, Lawrence especially.

The two con men are very likeable. They're criminals, but they don't do any real harm. They only take money from women who have too much. They don't want to leave their victims destitute. Their charm is overwhelming, and we can't help but smile at their successes.

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