Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

jaibo St Ives was the first fruit of what turned out to be a fecund collaboration between tough-guy actor Charles Bronson and veteran British filmmaker J Lee Thompson. Based on a novel by Ross Thomas (The Procane Chronicle), St Ives is clearly a contribution to the 1970s neo-noir cycle, the Watergate-era revival of the hard-boiled detective story. It's not a major contribution to the genre – it pales beside The Long Goodbye, Chinatown or Night Moves – but it's an entertaining watch, well cast (including a cameo by genre veteran Elisha Cook) and it leaves a subtly bitter taste in the mouth.Raymond St Ives (Bronson) is a retired sports writer and wannabe Great American Novelist who agrees to act as a go-between for a rich old villain Abner Procane (John Houseman channelling Sydney Greenstreet) who has had his memoirs stolen. St Ives is dragged into a world of swank mansions, sordid downtown locations, corrupt cops, petty criminals who meet nasty ends and, of course, a femme-fatale (Jacqueline Bissett) who is looking out for herself. This last character doesn't subvert the genre expectation in the post-feminist way of Chinatown, nor are the Bogart/Bacall exchanges between Bissett and Bronson entirely convincing (there is an air of pastiche here).The film is set in Los Angeles and it is no coincidence that Procane spends his time watching old silent epics as a form of (American) dream therapy, an escape from his neuroses; even his criminal scheme takes place at a drive-in cinema. There's a subtext involving old Hollywood being used as a screen which hides the sordid realities of contemporary American life – the climax involves the rich old man's screen being rolled back to reveal his friend and psychiatric as the prime mover of a plot against him, a plot motivated by envy, greed and Oedipal hatred. The final has Bronson refusing four million dollars ("it's expensive being honest") and handing over the cash and the femme-fatale, leaving both in the hands of an 'honest' cop, his honesty held in the balance as sex and filthy lucre present themselves as temptations to climb into the 'bucket of faeces', as the cop had previously described the world of criminality. The ending presents us not with the happy denouement we first saw Procane lulling himself with in front of a silent film but an ambiguous moment of ever-present inducement to dirty one's hands with ill-gotten gains, the truth of the American dream.

MARIO GAUCI Even if not filmed in that recognizable style, this thriller's plot could be deemed noir-ish – with Charles Bronson as the outwardly cool but increasingly bewildered hero, and where the Jacqueline Bisset character is eventually revealed as a femme fatale.This was the star's first of 9 films with director Thompson, and it's also one of his better vehicles (which, again, I had inexplicably missed out on several times on TV in the past). Generally enjoyable and fast-paced, though needlessly convoluted, it definitely benefits from a strong cast – including John Houseman as the mysterious old man (and something of a Silent movie aficionado) who gives Bronson a deceptively simple assignment which soon turns deadly; Maximilian Schell as Houseman's physician (suffering from a bad cold throughout) who also transpires to be not quite what he seems; ditto Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum cops Harry Guardino and Harris Yulin; Burr De Benning as a traffic cop with ambitions above his station; Dana Elcar as a sympathetic Police Captain; Michael Lerner (who appears far too briefly) as Bronson's flustered lawyer; genre stalwart Elisha Cook Jr. as a hotel desk-clerk who's perennially asleep on the job, and even Jeff Goldblum and Robert Englund as thugs (who contrive to throw Bronson down an elevator shaft)! There's also a good, upbeat score by Lalo Schifrin.Though the all-important drive-in sequence towards the end becomes unintentionally amusing – when the same stampede sequence (as far as I could tell, it's taken from the Warners-produced John Wayne vehicle CHISUM [1970]) is repeated over and over! – the film makes up for this with the busy climax, which as I said, provides a number of twists. It's capped, then, by a wonderful coda involving Bronson's bemused reaction to the incorrigible Bisset's wiles (he leaves her in the embarrassed Elcar's custody).

bkoganbing Reading some of the reviews here, I can see that a lot of folks aren't happy with Charles Bronson's interpretation of Ross Thomas's hero, Raymond St. Ives. Having not read any of the books I can't comment there. I'm happy enough with Charles Bronson in the part having no novel to measure it against.I'm also very happy with the very excellent cast of supporting players that Bronson and J. Lee Thompson put together for St. Ives. There what really makes this film work for me.Picture if Dr. Reifenschneider or Casper Guttman had kept a diary of all the criminal enterprises they had been involved with. That's what master criminal John Houseman as Abner Procane has done. But somebody's stolen it and wants some big bucks to get it back.Enter Charles Bronson as Ray St. Ives, former crime reporter now trying to work on a novel. He knows the Los Angeles underworld and portals of entry therein like no one else, so Houseman hires him as a go between.Bronson's 'between' all right, between a whole lot of people with agendas at cross purposes. In this stellar cast you'll find Jacqueline Bisset as the Charley's Angel like security for Houseman, Maxmilian Schell as Houseman's psychiatrist, Harris Yulin and Harry Guardino as a pair of on the make detectives, Dana Elcar as their superior, and Elisha Cook as the hotel clerk where Bronson stays. Bronson's got his work cut out for him in this one. Figure he's the good guy, he's got some real problems telling just who the villains are.Funniest scene, Bronson in his favorite bar/lunch counter place feeding Val Bisoglio and pumping him for information as Dick O'Neil cuts the corned beef. This might have been what got Bisoglio to thinking about owning a more upscale place because his best known role was coming shortly, as Danny who owned the place Jack Klugman and the cast of Quincy loved to kick back in.Obviously purists of Ross Thomas's work have problems with St. Ives, but fans of Charles Bronson most definitely won't.

paul_johnr My first experience with the films of director J. Lee Thompson and Charles Bronson came during the mid-90s when I watched a heavily-cut version of '10 to Midnight' on basic cable. Since then, I have viewed these several films in almost reverse order, eventually jumping back to 'St. Ives,' their first pairing in 1976.'St. Ives,' while being the first Thompson/Bronson film, was also one of the last major studio productions involving these two men. Eventually, they were turning out cheap but effective potboilers for the Cannon Group, including '10 to Midnight' and 'Murphy's Law.' And this is probably why 'St. Ives' can produce unfair expectations; while on a fairly large budget, the film is just one of many high-crime thrillers that were released in its day and sells itself as little more than that.Bronson stars as Raymond St. Ives, a former Los Angeles crime reporter who is lackadaisically trying to earn his way as a novelist. Having recently divorced his wife and taken up residence at a cheap hotel, St. Ives is under demand to pay $1,000 a month in alimony. Raymond has a thirst for high living and gambles non-stop, habits that have left him short of cash; to pay the bills, he takes advice from his lawyer Myron (Michael Lerner) to act as a go-between for millionaire Abner Procane (John Houseman) and his assistant Janet Whistler (Jacqueline Bisset), who need to exchange ransom money for stolen journals that contain unsavory business dealings. While trying to complete the transaction, St. Ives stumbles upon one dead body after another and requires the help of his police lieutenant friend Charlie Blunt (Dana Elcar) to bail him out each time. Intrigued as a former journalist and in need of 'writing material,' St. Ives stays employed to Procane while trying to account for the murders.While the cast of 'St. Ives' acquits itself under Thompson's straightforward direction, the film suffers from an erratic plot line and a script by Barry Beckerman that loses energy as it progresses. The first half of 'St. Ives' is quite engaging, as it tracks Raymond's activities as a go-between and his investigations of Procane. But out of nowhere, St. Ives decides to become a member of Procane's illegal operations while hoping to uncover the truth. The whodunit theme becomes one of mini-espionage as a result, with Bronson looking far too passive. By the film's conclusion, Bronson seems almost a marginal character, no longer the main person of focus. Barry Beckerman's script (based upon a novel by Ross Thomas) also has a comic tone so predominant that it's nearly impossible for any true conflict to develop. The film gathers no momentum and becomes pedestrian.A large part of why 'St. Ives' fails in its second half is the growing presence of Jacqueline Bisset, who was terribly miscast as Janet. Bisset's role as the henchwoman requires a character actress who mixes cold-heartedness with just enough good looks to attract Raymond. Whether it's because Bisset looks taller than everyone else, has a pleasant voice, or is just plain gorgeous, she has such a wonderfully feminine presence that you could never really buy into the idea of Janet killing people. To make matters worse, Bisset is so dominant as an actress that she steals our attention while not having very much to do. John Houseman is very balanced as Procane, but supporting roles by Maximilian Schell as Dr. Constable and Dana Elcar (who never removes his hat) as Charlie Blunt are flat and undemanding.With regards to technical work and production vales, 'St. Ives' eclipses all of the later Thompson/Bronson films that lasted until 'Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects' in 1989. But for all of the excellent cinematography by Lucien Ballard and wonderfully-styled music by Lalo Schifrin, there are laughable moments such as a dead body whose eyes move and a drive-in movie screen that repeats the same footage at least three times. The few 'action' scenes involving Bronson aren't necessary and do little to generate tension. The concluding shootout is also disorienting, a bungle to follow.While 'St. Ives' is not a bad film, it is hopelessly mediocre. Still, fans of Bronson and Jacqueline Bisset should find portions of the film enjoyable. At best, it is a charming time-killer that deserves an occasional broadcast on television. Its DVD is available from Warner Home Video and nicely presented in widescreen with Dolby enhancement of the original mono track; French 'dubbing' and three-language subtitles are provided. This disc includes a brief featurette on the making of 'St. Ives,' with the rare occurrence of Bronson discussing his craft. The original theatrical trailer is also supplied.** out of 4