I really didn't care much for GAMBIT, a heist caper comedy which is so light-hearted as to be completely insubstantial and lacking in anything approaching depth or narrative. I couldn't stand Shirley MacLaine in it either, from her self-centred character to her stupid hairstyle, everything about her was repulsive. I'm a fan of Michael Caine but he acts little better than a clothes horse here and merely stands around looking vacant for long stretches of time. The reliable Herbert Lom is better but given little to do throughout. The plot tries to resemble the likes of CHARADE and ARABESQUE, two films I did enjoy, but it feels inferior at all times, and oh-so-dated.

Nicole Chang (Shirley MacLaine) is a Hong Kong nightclub dancer. Harry Dean (Michael Caine) hires her to do a job. He plans to rob the wealthy recluse Ahmad Shahbandar (Herbert Lom). His late wife resembled Nicole and with a makeover, she becomes an exact copy posing as Harry's wife.

The movie starts with a long fake out. It does throw the movie off in a strange mood as essentially it redoes the first act. I actually love the real Nicole Chang. The relationship between her and Harry is much more complicated. I really don't like it at first but then the movie does the standard rom-com love-hate move. These two great actors almost sold me on this pairing but in the end, it's a little too hard. The caper has plenty of twists and it's pretty good. There are a couple of unusual elements in this movie that keeps me from truly loving it.

The first 20 or so minutes of "Gambit" are among the strangest and most unusual I can recall having seen. Harry (Michael Caine) discovers a dancer, Nicole (Shirley MacLaine) in a cheap cabaret. You then see him offer her a job and they then go off on a caper to rob the richest man in the world, Shahbandar (Herbert Lom). The plan goes off like clockwork and the theft has worked perfectly. It is only then that you realize that most of what you see happening is what Harry is describing to his partner, Emile (John Abbott). Then, and only then, does Harry's plan actually unfold. However, in this real caper, so many of the details do NOT work out as Harry has planned--and his 'wife' (Nicole--posing as the Missus) is nothing like she is in the plan. In the plan, she's silent and mysterious--but in reality she's chatty but actually a whole lot smarter than Harry! What's next? See the film for yourself to find out--but be aware that there are lots and lots of twists and turns!

"Gambit" is a very good film--I won't deny that. And, it's nice that it is a more humorous and lighthearted sort of caper film. However, and here is a problem, it's in a genre that is absolutely glutted with exceptional films. So, while "Gambit" is very good, films like "Rififi", "Grand Slam", "Big Deal on Madonna Street", "Bob le Flambeur" and many others make it seem to be second-tier. Good but not among the many better films like it. My biggest complaints was the bizarre casting of MacLaine as a Eurasian(why not have her play an American?!) as well as perhaps too many twists near the end for its own good. However, Shirley MacLaine and Herbert Lom are particularly good in the film. Worth your time but not a must-see.