SILVER BEARS (1978: Dir. Ivan Passer)
If screenwriter Peter Stone ever wanted to re-visit the past glories of Charade he certainly had the raw material with Canadian banker Paul Erdman's novel Silver Bears. Some people confuse the heist genre with the con game genre. Both after all involve larceny and deception, however there are distinct differences. The nerve-wracking detail-obsessed suspense of a heist is a totally different flavour than the sleight-of-hand finesse of a confidence game. Silver Bears like Charade is a con game film, and a definite move away from the gritty milieu of The Taking of Pelham One Three. It is also Stone at his breezy best, returning to picturesque European and African locales, and populating his screenplay with cheerfully assured characters who are trapped in the quicksand of their own greedy natures. The late Seventies had seen the end of the Hollywood star-system, so if you couldn't cast a retired Cary Grant, then Michael Caine would suffice, and with Audrey Hepburn taking time off, perhaps Cybill Shepherd could fill in. Add a supporting group of dependable utility players: Louis Jourdan (faded Italian aristocrat), Stephane Audran (Persian exotique), Charles Gray (effete executive), Tom Smothers (uptight American), then place them in the fantasy-like world of high finance where the comedy can pleasingly percolate. The result is a tasty brew that never offends the palate. Erdman was convicted in absentia for his silver market swindle, our engaging heroes just steal the film. DVD REGION 2
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