Dirty Rotten
Scoundrels is a movie that takes a while to get going, but once it does,
it never stops delivering.
This comedy stars Steve Martin, Michael Caine, and Glenne Headly, all putting
on fantastic performances that will leave you marveling at how the movie turns
out in the end.
The film is hilarious, but you’ll need to be patient through the first forty
minutes, which feel like a long intro. Once the laughter starts, though, it
doesn’t stop. The moment Steve Martin rolls in on a wheelchair, the movie
shifts into high gear.
The plot
revolves around two con men who make their living by swindling wealthy women.
The first is Lawrence Jameson (Michael Caine), a sophisticated British man who
orchestrates elaborate scams with the help of a small team to ensure everything
goes smoothly. He focuses on big scores and has grown very wealthy from his
schemes.
The second con man is Freddy Benson (Steve Martin), a small-time hustler who
pulls petty scams to get by. Unlike Lawrence, Freddy isn’t polished or
sophisticated, which limits him to smaller cons.
Their paths
cross, and Lawrence, not wanting Freddy to scare off the “big fish” he’s
targeting, decides to keep an eye on him by bringing Freddy into his crew. He
promises Freddy a cut of the profits.
However,
Lawrence’s real plan is to get rid of Freddy. He assigns Freddy stressful and
demeaning roles in his scams, and after a series of cons, Lawrence refuses to
pay Freddy, claiming Freddy has no use for money since he doesn’t know how to
spend it properly.
Fed up, Freddy
leaves Lawrence and returns to his small-time scams.
Their paths cross again, and this time, they make a bet to see who’s the better
con artist. They choose a target—Janet Colgate (Glenne Headly)—and agree that
whoever swindles $50,000 from her wins.
Both pour their all into their schemes, constantly sabotaging each other along
the way. What they don’t realize is that there’s a third player in the game.
The movie is a
remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story, which starred Marlon Brando and
David Niven.
The script for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was written by Dale Launer,
Stanley Shapiro, and Paul Henning—the latter two also wrote the original Bedtime
Story.
Dirty Rotten
Scoundrels is a fun movie to watch if you’re looking for a good laugh.
It’s guaranteed to get some chuckles flowing.
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