Today’s quick review: Silver Bears. Doc Fletcher (Michael Caine), a money man for an American mobster (Martin Balsam), hatches the perfect plan to launder his boss’ money: open up a Swiss bank. However, when Fletcher arrives in Switzerland to inspect the bank, he finds a small operation with no assets. Hoping to turn his fortunes around, Fletcher invests the bank’s meager holdings in an Iranian silver mine that could make him a fortune.
Silver Bears is a crime comedy starring Michael Caine. Starting with almost nothing, a crafty banker bluffs his way into a lucrative investment that soon draws international attention. Fletcher’s bank is a peculiar venture that straddles the line between criminal enterprise and honest business. His attempts to get the bank off the ground give the movie some modest appeal, but a slow plot and subdued comedy undercut an otherwise serviceable premise.
Silver Bears’ main issue is that it can be a little dry. The bread and butter of the story are Fletcher’s financial transactions. While not too hard to follow, they do little to build up excitement and make the stakes of the movie rather abstract. Somewhere at the core of the story is an intricate con involving a barely-solvent bank and a hypothetical fortune in silver, but the story is too unstructured to take full advantage of it.
Still, Silver Bears makes for a pleasant enough watch. Michael Caine holds the movie together as Doc Fletcher, a loyal man and a shrewd banker trying his best to keep the operation afloat. Cybill Shepherd joins him as Debbie Luckman, the bubbly wife of a business rival. There isn’t much overt comedy to be had, but the small pieces of it strewn about are enough to keep the tone light. Finally, Fletcher does come up with some interesting schemes.
Silver Bears has the makings of fun caper, but its execution falls short. Fans of Michael Caine and the lighter side of the crime genre will still get something out of it, but it’s missing the spark that the best films in the genre have. Give it a watch if you’re in the mood for some light wheeling and dealing. Steer clear if you’re looking for a sharper comedy or a more impressive con.
For a more impressive con, try The Sting or Ocean’s Eleven. For a coarser comedy about a bank executive, try Breaking the Bank. For a proper financial thriller, try Margin Call. For Michael Caine as an outright thief, try the original version of The Italian Job.
[6.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076715/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for good ideas that don’t quite come together.