Steineded How sad is this?

SpunkySelfTwitter It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

John Brooks Good acting. Good story. Good villain. Well developed, there's an interesting first part (the plan as envisioned by Caine's character), middle part (the development) and very interesting ending. This is the sort of film you'd expect the ending to go a certain just about predictable way, and it absolutely doesn't at all, like, there are no clues of where the film is really taking the audience. And there's a good moral right at the death too (which is really where the whole movie is driving).Dialog is very good too, with some good wit and that avoid the tacky lines this sort of film will often throw at the viewer. Caine is good as always, Lom as the villain does his job just right, and Maclaine manages her role very well, and looks absolutely gorgeous here.There's just enough originality and volume to this film to break the usual monotonous storytelling its genre will often supply, and it's well balanced that it starts as intriguingly as it ends.Good stuff ! 8/10.

sol- A brilliantly paced, gripping crime caper, the film has an interesting plot formula, and in general it is quite engaging stuff. Neame's vision of the film involves many close-ups and low camera angles, and this provides an enticing visual style. It is often amusing, with clever ideas, clever sets and wonderful costumes. MacLaine is also very good in an intriguing performance that involves her being silent for the first 25 minutes. So, what can one say against this film? It is a bit silly, a tad overlong, somewhat predictable, and not very deep, but as simple entertainment you cannot find many films better than this. I found it a joy to watch, and Neame's crafting as director can be admired too. It is a great film, even if not a masterpiece, although, for its genre, it could possibly be regarded as a masterpiece.

gftbiloxi In the 1960s Hollywood combined the classic "caper" film with a healthy dose of romantic comedy. The result was a series of charming films such as CHARADE (1963) and HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966)--films that combined major stars, clever plots, witty scripts and which balanced suspense with comic and romantic complications.Made in 1966 and released in 1967, GAMBIT was among the last of these films, and like all others in the genre it had a complex plot. Ahmad Shahbandar (Herbert Lom) is quite possibly the richest man in the world and a recluse to boot, a man who has never gotten over the death of his beautiful Eurasian wife some twenty years ago. Harry Dean (Michael Caine) devises a clever plan to gain access to his luxury apartment and rob him blind: he will use honky-tonk dancer Nicole Chang (Shirley MacLaine), who bears a striking resemblance to Shahbandar's long dead wife, to breach Shahbandar's defenses.There's only one problem: it won't work. To tell exactly why it won't work is to betray the plot, which is extremely clever; suffice to say that Dean has made a number of incorrect assumptions about both the situation and the personalities involved. When the plot begins to twist, it does so in a truly unexpected way, taking both Dean and the audience completely by surprise.This is the sort of film that Hollywood used to do so well but which we seldom see today, a frothy, glamorous confection with first rate production values and expert performances from major stars. MacLaine gets top billing, and she is quite fine, but the weight of the film rests on Caine and Lom, who give memorably dry performances, and director Ronald Neame (who was responsible for a host of memorable films including THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE) keeps everything moving along at a smart pace with plenty of style.This may not be the best of the genre--I think both CHARADE and HOW TO STEAL A MILLION, to name but two, outpace it. But even so it is a perfectly charming film, the perfect antidote to a drab afternoon. Just add popcorn! GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Neil Doyle MICHAEL CAINE was hot after appearing in THE IPCRESS FILE and SHIRLEY MacLAINE grabbed him for her leading man in GAMBIT. It's a highly entertaining and very clever crime caper and is Caine's first American film. It benefits from highly polished production values and Ronald Neame's expert direction, not to mention a story that has several unexpected twists.Aside from excellent performances by the two stars and Herbert Lom as the intended victim, the plot will keep you guessing until the final moments. Shirley is a knockout in her oriental disguise and delivers a wonderful performance as the girl who discovers she prefers an honest man to a thief, no matter how much she let herself be tricked into the role of a charming look-alike for Herbert Lom's former wife. The trick is to get into his lavish digs so she and Michael can see the layout and devise a plan to steal a prized sculpture. Herbert Lom is urbane and sophisticated as a man who is highly suspicious of his new acquaintances.If you like crime capers or jewel heists, this is for you. Diverting from start to finish with a particularly good opening sequence that sort of sets you up for a different kind of film than this actually is. But saying more than that would give too much away.My only complaint--Maurice Jarre's score is a skimpy one. He provides some light and catchy melodies for the lighter scenes but fails to deliver the goods for the film's darker moments. Maybe he figured the audience would just be holding their breath while silence accompanied the cat-like burglar approach rather than music. Whatever, the darker moments would have been heightened by a more suspenseful score.John Abbott is seen to advantage as a French sculptor devoted to his art.