Movie Review: How To Steal A Million (1966)

Genre: Romantic Crime Comedy  
Director: William Wyler  

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, Eli Wallach  
Running Time: 123 minutes  

Synopsis: In Paris, Nicole Bonnet (Audrey Hepburn) is unable to convince her father Charles (Hugh Griffith), a master forger, that he should stop creating and marketing fake versions of classic art pieces. Charles lends a fake "Cellini" Venus statue for the centrepiece display at a museum exhibition, while Nicole and sophisticated art thief Simon Dermott (Peter O'Toole) start a romance after she catches him in the act. When Nicole learns the Venus may be inspected and exposed as a fake, she tries to convince Simon to steal it from the heavily-guarded museum.

What Works Well: This sophisticated and glossy heist romance and comedy is an effective vehicle for fashion icon Audrey Hepburn to model a succession of chic Paris-inspired outfits. She also brings a wide-eyed sparkle to the role of a daughter exasperated by her eccentric father's obsessive hobby, and mesmerized by a suave gentleman thief headquartered at the Ritz Hotel. The second half is focused on improvised heist mechanics featuring a tiny broom closet and the deft exploitation of the human condition to counter sophisticated technology. The script is occasionally witty but also leans on theatricality, while French actor Moustache contributes a few fine comic moments as a member of the museum guard team.

What Does Not Work As Well: The first hour is slow and ponderous, director William Wyler unnecessarily prolonging character introductions and dawdling on clutter, and Nicole's repeated use of "Papa" in her conversations with her father achieving fingernails-on-chalkboard levels of irritation. The romance ignites with nothing more than kiss, the mild twist related to O'Toole's role is telegraphed well in advance, and Eli Wallach never finds traction as an under-scoped art collector.

Key Quote:

Charles Bonnet: Don't you know that in his lifetime Van Gogh only sold one painting? While I, in loving memory of his tragic genius, have already sold two.



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