And Now … Ladies and Gentlemen
PG-13
In English, French, Italian and Arabic
Opening at Ritz theaters tomorrow
Three reels out of four
In a summer full of patronizing sequels and unfunny comedies, And Now … Ladies and Gentlemen stands out like a Fabergé egg at a church rummage sale. Although it’s a tad too long, it’s the kind of movie that makes you feel more sophisticated just by watching it.
Valentin (Jeremy Irons) is an English jewel thief and master of disguise who has managed to pull off heists at the greatest gem shops in Europe using only two weapons: humorous bluff and charming deceit. Jane Lester (Patricia Kaas) is a French jazz singer just getting over a bad relationship with her trumpet player.
The two lost souls collide in the Moroccan city of Fez and find they have much in common, including the tendency to black out at the most inconvenient times. When a daring jewel theft takes place at their hotel, the Fez police naturally suspect Valentin.
The acting alone is enough to recommend And Now … Ladies and Gentlemen. Irons oozes charm as the world-weary jewel thief Valentin. When he liberates the stuffy jewelry shops of their wares, you almost feel bad for not being able to contribute to the booty.
Respected chanteuse Kaas makes a major contribution as Jane, the singer with a major case of the blues. I’m glad that Lelouch got a singer who can act rather than the other way around. She expresses more sadness through one song than many actors do in a whole movie. Also on board are leading man Thierry Lhermitte in a supporting role and acclaimed writer/director Ivan Attal as a small-time thief.
French director Claude Lelouch is known mainly in this country for A Man and a Woman, which was a huge international hit when it came out in the mid-’60s. At age 66, Monsieur Lelouch is still going strong after directing more than 60 movies.
And Now … Ladies and Gentlemen skillfully maneuvers between a whimsical tale of a jewel thief and a more serious story about people searching for answers. Not unlike Robert Altman’s later films, the whole story uses myriad quirky characters as its backdrop. Sixties’ sex goddess Claudia Cardinale makes a cameo as the bored wife of an Italian industrialist.
The location shots are gorgeous as we go from the streets of Paris and London to the deserts of Morocco.
Lelouch seems as interested in showing human behavior as he is in telling Valentin’s and Jane’s stories. The movie is full of amusing little bits of behavior yet never goes overboard.
Whether you’re sick of sequels or you just want a sophisticated evening at the theater, you could do much worse than And Now … Ladies and Gentlemen.
Carrie
No rating
Available Tuesday
Even as a made-for-TV movie, Stephen King’s first published novel packs a punch. It’s also slightly more faithful to the book. Angela Bettis might be no Sissy Spacek, but she possesses a goth-girl-without-makeup creepiness as Carrie. The new girl in school is shy and awkward, but she has the ability to make objects move when she gets mad. As part of a cruel prank, her much better-looking, popular classmates arrange her election as prom queen. Biiiggg mistake. Although I’m a big fan of the Brian DePalma version with Sissy Spacek, this version stands on its own. Be forewarned: The prom scene is pretty disturbing.
