Entrapment (1999) Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ving Rhames, Will Patton, Maury Chaykin. Screenplay by Ron Bass, William Broyles; story by Bass, Michael Hertzberg. Directed by Jon Amiel. 112 minutes. Rated PG-13, 3 stars (out of five stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo-online.com Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Edward+Johnson-ott To receive reviews by e-mail at no charge, send subscription requests to pbbp24a@prodigy.com
"Entrapment" boasts a top notch cast, an effective score, wonderful photography and a great deal of style. The caper film also has a plotline that stretches plausibility further and further until the final act, where it snaps entirely, leaving any link to reality fluttering in the breeze. Whether you exit the theater annoyed or amused will likely depend on your appreciation of Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Me, I like the charismatic duo enough to forgive the film's major failings in the logic department.
Reminiscent of the glossy romantic thrillers from the '60s, "Entrapment" centers around a heist of monumental proportion, one that can only be carried out on December 31, 1999. The story begins in New York, when a thief with no apparent fear of heights steals a Rembrandt by using high tech equipment to enter an upper floor of a high-rise from the outside. After insurance investigator Gin Baker (Zeta-Jones) convinces her boss, Hector Cruz (Will Patton) that legendary bandit Robert "Mac" MacDougal (Connery) is the man behind the crime, she sets off for London to find him.
Mac quickly turns the tables on the young woman, and the pair move to his castle in Scotland to sort matters out. Soon enough, they begin plotting the theft of an extremely rare Chinese mask from an English museum, but Gin has an even bigger job in mind. If Mac agrees, they will make a New Years Eve trip to Kuala Lumpur in the Far East, where they can take advantage of Y2K computer changeovers to funnel $8 billion from a bank headquarters in the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest buildings in the world. What finer way to celebrate the Millennium than by pulling off the biggest robbery in history?
But is it a set-up and, if so, who is setting up whom? Questions of allegiance are pivotal to the convoluted plot of "Entrapment," along with outlandish schemes, outrageous coincidences and loads of technobabble. By the time the film reaches its fractured conclusion, primary characters pull off stunts that could only be accomplished by wizardry. The story is utterly preposterous, but this is an old-fashioned "star vehicle" where plots are incidental. What matters in a film like this is attitude and sex appeal, which "Entrapment" has in spades. Exotic locations, potent music and jazzy cinematography combine to make an engaging package, although, of course, the main attraction is the pairing of two movie stars; one a veteran aging like fine wine and the other a delicious offering of a more recent vintage.
Catherine Zeta-Jones made a big impact in last year's "The Mask of Zorro" and she continues to dazzle here. Her eyes, focused and assured, burn with a fierce intelligence that makes her other physical assets all the more captivating. She is a strikingly beautiful woman who seems quite comfortable strutting her stuff. The camera caresses her form, particularly in a training sequence where she glides her magnificent fanny ever so smoothly under a faux laser beam. The shot doesn't feel the least bit sexist because Zeta-Jones is totally in command of the situation. Instead of being turned into an object, she comes off as choreographer of her own erotic ballet.
And then there's Sean Connery, one of the coolest men who ever lived. At nearly 70, the years of been kind to this cinematic treasure. Each new wrinkle adds more character to that great face, while his demeanor remains as assured as ever, with an added gruff edge underscoring the sense of danger so crucial to his appeal. Working with this alluring woman 40 years his junior, Connery's character strives to maintain a professional distance, while both romantic and paternal feelings do battle with his judgment. The script hands him cheesy lines like "Never trust a naked woman," but Connery handles them with aplomb.
Meanwhile, several other very good actors are given virtually nothing to do. Ving Rhames, one of the best talents in the business, makes do with a throwaway role that squanders his skills, Will Patton pops up to sputter occasionally, and Maury Chaykin spends his screen time plopped in the Buddha position, spewing threats in a fey voice while displaying his big belly and sagging breasts. Why? I have no idea.
After three increasingly silly, but well-staged, action set pieces, the film builds to a climax at a train station where lead characters magically appear and disappear while law enforcement agents behave like Barney Fife after too many cups of hard cider. Somehow, the rampant stupidity in "Entrapment" actually enhances the film's goofball appeal. Add the charms of Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones and you've got 112 snappy minutes of big, dumb Hollywood fun.
© 1999 Ed Johnson-Ott
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