This caper comedy is clever. Very clever. In fsct, it's often too clever for its own good, and that cleverness is often what prevents this from being memorable. For the most part, the cast is very good, although lead Charles Grodin seems trying too hard, and seems miscast, or at least trying to swallow these diamonds even though he can't chew it. Candice Bergen gets a lot of screen time but not much to do, and we know she's capable of so much more. John Gielgud is his typically dry and droll self as the head of the system, an organization responsible for the distribution of diamonds around the world, and when the head of the walls, then he may listen, becomes involved in a scheme to steal all the diamonds, he engages Grodin and Bergen. Mason is dying, and wants his family to be able to live well when he goes to that great vault in the sky, hence his motive for organizing this clever heist.
The highest paid Engineers, utilizing a vacuum cleaner with a very large posed to help remove the diamonds out of the vault system. The set for the vault is huge and beautiful, and the shot of Mason sitting at a desk in the middle of it all makes him appear to have more from power than he does. Great tasting classes, including one through a field of cows and later through hay fields, and is very funny. Good in support are Peter Vaughan and Helen Cherry, along with Trevor Howard. It took me awhile to get into this one, but by the time they start the caper, it is non-stop fun. But the first half hour or so is very slow indeed, and that makes the film a disappointment over all. The narration by Grodin seems out of place. It also seems likely that Mason's goals are not going to be achieved, and it's obvious that the system of Gielgud as well as the one for Mason will end up failing just aa this film unfortunately did.
The highest paid Engineers, utilizing a vacuum cleaner with a very large posed to help remove the diamonds out of the vault system. The set for the vault is huge and beautiful, and the shot of Mason sitting at a desk in the middle of it all makes him appear to have more from power than he does. Great tasting classes, including one through a field of cows and later through hay fields, and is very funny. Good in support are Peter Vaughan and Helen Cherry, along with Trevor Howard. It took me awhile to get into this one, but by the time they start the caper, it is non-stop fun. But the first half hour or so is very slow indeed, and that makes the film a disappointment over all. The narration by Grodin seems out of place. It also seems likely that Mason's goals are not going to be achieved, and it's obvious that the system of Gielgud as well as the one for Mason will end up failing just aa this film unfortunately did.