Audrey Hepburn is Nicole Bonnet, a young woman living in Paris, whose father is a successful art forger. When the father lends a ‘priceless statue’ (which is in reality a forgery by his father) to a famous Parisian museum, Nicole has to steal it back before scientific tests prove that the piece is a forgery, and her father’s criminal activities are exposed. Nicole enlists the help of suave ‘society burglar’ Simon Dermott, and together the two of them embark on a madcap adventure…
Well, this is a great little movie. I love Audrey Hepburn, and as ever, she is truly beautiful and classy here (and wears some stunning outfits – look out for the black one with the face veil which she wears when she first meets Simon at The Ritz). Although I wouldn’t put this film in the same class as Roman Holiday, Sabrina or Funny Face, it really is entertaining and a lot of fun – and Audrey acts her socks off. Peter O’Toole, so young in this film, is lovely too. He’s incorrigible, suave, cheeky, and very endearing. O’Toole was perfect for this role, and made a perfect on screen partner for Audrey.
The plot itself is a lot of fun, and there are some genuinely funny moments, many courtesy of Hugh Griffith, who played Nicole’s father. My favourite parts were the scene where Nicole and Simon first meet (it’s not revealing any spoilers to say that she catches him breaking into their house), and the closet at the museum (which I won’t say more about here).
The chemistry between the two leading characters is great – they bounce off each other and suit each other perfectly. They certainly seem to be having the time of their life in Paris.
In short, this may not be a movie which will stay with me in the way that Roman Holiday or Sabrina has done, but it’s a very enjoyable couple of hours, which left me with a smile on my face. Well worth watching!
Year of release: 1966
Director: William Wyler
Writers: George Bradshaw, Harry Kurnitz
Main cast: Audrey Hepburn, Peter O’Toole, Eli Wallach
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