If you’re expecting this to be about a Marvel superhero then I’m afraid I’ve got bad news. On the other hand if you’re familiar with the ancient Italian term, gambetto, where our movie name originates from, Gambit, then you’re in the right place. But enough of the….…oh go on then. Gambetto is a chess opening in which a player a piece like a pawn, with the hope of gaining a rather advantageous position on the board. And Gambit, has alot in common with this old ass Italian saying. But enough of the history lesson.
Written by the rather talented Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Gambit stars Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz and Alan Rickman. Essentially the story of an art curator (Firth) who attempts to con his gazillionaire media mogul boss (Rickman) into buying a fake Monet. Along with his forgery painting major accomplice, they enlist the help of a Daisy Duke inspired, PJ Puznowski.
While it may sound predictable on the outside, Gambit is thoroughly enjoyable and something fresh and original. From a predictable point of view, on occasion it is, and while you expect a twist at some point, you eventually give up waiting for it as the characters here do a mighty fine job of sucking you in. And then, just when you think…..anyway.
Colin Firth is simply wonderful here as the bumbling art curator. He plays the part so well you do wonder is he actually qualified in the field at all. A number of brilliantly executed scrapes and hijinks will have you falling head over heels for Firth here as he grows on you so much throughout. Cameron Diaz surprisingly brings alot of balance to Gambit. Her Texan, almost redneck persona gives a great contrast to the rather eccentric, pretentious and stuffy art and media mogul folk. Speaking of which, its Alan Rickman who steals scene after scene after scene. His arrogant billionaire performance is not only hilarious but incredibly watchable, and you’ll wish he had a longer on screen time. And speaking of scene stealing, the Savoy Hotel staff are the real superstars here, delivering that dry British wit, with ease.
To their credit the Coen’s have written something here that works really well with great characters and has some wonderful laugh out loud moments. And also to his credit, director Michael Hoffman pulls it altogether rather brilliantly complete with a rather rock solid pace.
While Gambit won’t be for everybody (especially the younger / teen audiences), I was very pleasantly surprised. Gambit offers a solid night of entertainment in the cinema with some brilliantly thought out scenes, and while not a masterpiece, it certainly paints a rather excellent picture.
