Cheap How to Steal a Million (Video) (Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole) (William Wyler) Price

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Customer Reviews of How to Steal a Million

Probably intended as a follow-up to Audrey Hepburn's fun romp "Charade" - which shares this film's Parisian setting - "How To..." is doomed to suffer by comparison. To start with, director William Wyler, at the end of a long career, lacks the light touch of "Charade's" Stanley Donen. And, surprisingly good though he is, Peter O'Toole is no Cary Grant. But then the script is not a great help either.

Briefly, the plot revolves around Hepburn - as the daughter of an unrepentant art forger - and her need to "steal" a sculpture Papa has lent to a museum - before tests can prove it's a fake. She enlists the help of suave, overly confident O'Toole who she believes to be an upper class art thief. In reality, he is an art forgery expert on the trail of Papa. Together, the mismatched pair carry out a moderately complicated and inventive heist of the statue. Of course, love rears its inevitable head along the way.

One of the film's problems is its big budget. Everything is bright and glossy and shiny and brand new. Designer clothes look like they were put on the moment before the camera started to roll. Makeup is always perfect and hair is never out of place. Such lavish production values look wonderful in a musical but tend to slow down or even overwhelm a comedy. Even the music is too much. Where a frothy Mancini concoction was required, there is John Williams instead. His score was terrible in the sixties - it sounds even worse now.

But there is still much to enjoy in the film - most of it provided by the chemistry between Hepburn and O'Toole. For once, Audrey's waif-like personality actually suits her role and she even seems to have a laugh or two at her own image. O'Toole demonstrates what a versatile actor he could be, tossing off quips and varying reactions like a comic pro. It's too bad he didn't do more comedies as he always seemed to enjoy them. Equally good fun is Hugh Griffith as yet another irasible old codger. But Charles Boyer is virtually wasted (he has one good line: "I know it's a Van Gogh, but who painted it?") while Eli Wallach's twitchy performance is downright embarrassing.

Films like this used to roll off the assembly line back in the sixties and there were certainly many that were a lot worse than this one. Fans of Hepburn and O'Toole will like - if not love - it. And viewers unencumbered by great expectations will probably have a good time as well. If nothing else, as Rick said to Ilsa: we'll always have Paris.

A fun film.
Let's face it. If you're looking at this movie review, you've either seen it before, and in which case know what it is about or are an Audrey Hepburn fan, so you won't mind if I focus mainly on her. (Sorry, Peter O'Toole and Moustache fans.) I must admit that I was a bit disappointed by her performance. Now, don't get upset with me Audrey fans (a group with which I am a proud card-carrying member), let me explain first. Ms. Hepburn is as loverly, beautiful, (though she does look different with false eyelashes and her hair covering her forehead) charming and delightful as ever. It is just that she is given nothing to do except follow around O'Toole's character for the entire film. This is unfortunate, because she is completely convincing when she does have the chance to explore her character. Audrey Hepburn is a tremendous comic actress, and this could have been a chance for her to shine, and she does in parts. In the same way a narrowing of her brows or a hurt look in her eye or a tremor in her voice can break your heart, the way she sits on a bucket, scrubs a floor, or peeks from under a hat hopelessly to large for her can send you into rolling laughter. She just never gets a many good chances here. O'Toole is very good as a charming 'thief' and he and Hepburn share some tame chemistry. His performance surprised me, as the mention of O'Toole brings to mind immediately "Lawrence of Arabia". He proves quite convincing, however. William Wyler, who directed "Ben-Hur" and Audrey's only Oscar winning performance in "Roman Holiday" (it seems criminal that she won only one, doesn't it?) does a fantastic job here not letting the material get away from him and allowing the story and performances to speak for themselves. Some tense moments and a clever screenplay make this a very entertaining, fast-paced romantic-comedy. That doesn't exactly read right, does it? This is light-hearted fare, and very well done, something not seen at all these days. This film gets enthusiastic four stars from me. It would be three stars with a different actress and five if Audrey had had anything to work with.

I give 5 stars to everything I review...Don't I?
I love Breakfast at Tiffany's, but this has to be my absolute favorite Audrey Hepburn film!!! It will be released in December 2004 on DVD!!! Very good plot...cool cool cool....beautiful actress...yeah yeah yeah.....what more could you ask for???...It is a long wait, maybe you should order the video cassette used......!