Film Review – Gambit

Director: Michael Hoffman
Screenplay: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Alan Rickman, Stanley Tucci, Colin Firth
Genre: Comedy
Rating: *and a half
Venue: Ster Kinekor Maerua Mall Cine 3

I have never been a fan of British humour so I took a gamble when I went to watch this film and oh boy, was I let down. I was left feeling sadder than blue after watching Gambit. The film follows Henry Deane (Colin Firth) an art curator who decides to get revenge on his abusive boss by conning him into buying a fake Monet. He enlists the help of Texas cowgirl Wilhelmina PJ Puznoskwi played by the beautiful and talented Cameron Diaz, to pull off his plan. Things do not go as planned as the rodeo girl proves to be more of a handful than helpful.
I had seen the trailer for the film a couple of times before it was premiered at the cinema and I thought it would be funny and interesting, and maybe prove me wrong about British humour.  But alas, Gambit is more painful to watch than it is funny. It is so hard to explain just how awful this movie is, it falls flat as a cold souffle. Less than comical gags, farts and annoying Japanese actors making a mockery of themselves, all make this such a drag to watch.
The humour is so dry I cannot believe that Gambit was even classified as a comedy. I have no idea what the only highlight of the film, the old lady that farted on the way to her hotel room, tried to convey. It is slow,it is cumbersome and it is nothing but a dwandling sequence of pictures that make you just want to say stop! Enough with the torture.
You have to be cautious when you watch this film. Do not expect too much, there are no laugh out loud moments in this one, some of the scenes which I am sure the writers and directors intended to be funny, are silly and mediocre. The only good thing about this film is the all-star cast, Tucci, Diaz and Firth worked well together to at least save the film from being a complete flop. The cast should be applauded for that. Stanley Tucci is great as German art curator and Deane’s arch enemy Martin Zaidenweber, and Alan Rickman played the role of self-centered boss Lionel Shabander well despite being too overzealous and one dimensional.
The perfect title of this movie should have been the art of buffoonery. You would think that the Coen brother would get it right because this is a remake of the 1960’s version starring Michael Caine. They should have left this alone and saved us all some time and money.
Gambit is so awful I would rather search for a needle in a giant hay stack than watch it again. A typical slapstick comedy that should not have seen the light of day.