Today’s quick review: How to Steal a Million. Charles Bonnet (Hugh Griffith), a master art forger, presses his luck by loaning a fake sculpture valued at $1 million to a museum for public display. But when the museum prepares to test the piece’s authenticity, his daughter Nicole (Audrey Hepburn) and Simon Dermott (Peter O’Toole), an unusual art thief, must come up with a plan to steal the statue before it can be revealed as a fake.
How to Steal a Million is a heist film and romantic comedy set in Paris in the 1960s. How to Steal a Million is a generally well-crafted movie that does well with its writing, acting, and tone. The dialogue has plenty of humor tucked away in it, while the story nicely balances plausibility and serendipity. The romance is slow to develop: the movie lets Nicole and Simon butt heads for a while before giving them any reason to like each other.
Audrey Hepburn pulls off a surprisingly nuanced Nicole Bonnet. Though Nicole is not all that deep a character, the tension between her scruples and her father’s career, Simon’s peculiar behavior, and the heist itself give Hepburn plenty to work with. For his part, Peter O’Toole plays a canny Simon Dermott. The two are only a couple inasmuch as they are forced to be by circumstances, but their exchanges are the movie’s bread and butter.
Watch How to Steal a Million when you are in the mood for a light watch with classic sensibilities. Strong writing and acting, coupled with a tone that has become uncommon, make How to Steal a Million an enjoyable watch. Skip it if you are looking for edge-of-your-seat excitement, you dislike romance, or you prefer your comedy riotous.
7.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for enduring quality.