Synopsis
Two con men try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can be the first to swindle a young American heiress out of $50,000.
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Cast
- Steve MartinFreddy Benson
- Michael CaineLawrence Jamieson
- Glenne HeadlyJanet Colgate
- Anton RodgersInspector Andre
- Barbara HarrisFanny Eubanks
- Ian McDiarmidArthur
- Dana IveyMrs. Reed
- Meagen FayLady from Oklahoma
- Frances ConroyLady from Palm Beach
- Nicole CalfanLady in Dining Car
Recommendations
- 90
Variety
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a wonderfully crafted, absolutely charming remake of the 1964 film "Bedtime Story." In this classy version, Steve Martin and Michael Caine play the competing French Riviera conmen trying to outscheme each other in consistently amusing and surprising setups. Martin takes the crass American role played by Marlon Brando, and Caine plays homage to David Niven by sporting a thin mustache, slicked-back hair and double-breasted blue blazer in a sort of 1930s British yachtsman look. - 80
The New York Times
Line by line, the dialogue isn't all that quotable, but there is consistently funny life on the screen. The film's comic timing is nearly flawless. - 80
Washington Post
Director Frank Oz has brought a devilish tang to the machinations here, and the actors bring a sense of a spoiled grandeur to their characters' mingy souls. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
The chemistry between Martin and Caine is fun, and Headly provides a resilient foil as a woman who looks like a pushover but somehow never seems to topple. - 75
Boston Globe
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels essentially remains a duet of exquisitely turned gestures exchanged by Martin and Caine. It isn't killer comedy. Sometimes its leisurely pace veers dangerously close to slackness. But it's as close as Hollywood comedy comes to chamber music. [14 Dec 1988, p.77] - 75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Most of this is bald, and very funny; some of it is witty, and even funnier. [14 Dec 1988, p.C9] - 70
Los Angeles Times
Blithe, reasonably witty, with as many story twists as a Riviera roadway, its greatest assets are its glorious look and Michael Caine, his hair full of Dippety-Doo, his heart full of larceny. [14 Dec 1988, p.1] - 50
Chicago Tribune
A character comedy requires some notion of respect and integrity. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has none. [14 Dec 1988, p.1]
