ChanBot
i must have seen a different film!!
Matialth
Good concept, poorly executed.
Arianna Moses
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Stephen Bird
Audrey Hepburn has the same style and grace regardless of what she's starring in, however in How to Steal a Million her performance seems a little rusty and not akin to what you are used to from her, maybe because this was her first role for two years since My Fair Lady and she was having a troubled personal life around the time. Nevertheless How to Steal a Million is good old fashioned fun with a rather silly premise, what could have been a hardcore heist film has been toned down considerably and made overly family friendly, something that was a common occurrence at the time. Peter O'Toole plays the part of Simon Dermott rather well even if the character is a tad too comical. The guy comes across as the lousiest thief in the world, and for somebody who's trying to steal a million dollar statue he doesn't seem to quite know what he's doing. Some parts of the film came across as tongue-in-cheek, like when Nicole and Simon are hiding from the museum guards in that cupboard, the whole act seemed false to me, how did they successfully stay hidden in there when one of the guards only had to open the cupboard door and catch them? The whole mise-en-scene seems outdated, for something that was released after the golden era had ended, this film literally stinks of golden era! Like it was one of the last hurrah's before Hollywood changed forever, this may have something to do with the director, William Wyler was one of the standard bearers for the golden era and maybe the guy had great difficulty changing his style he was so used to in order to keep up to date with the changing world. Eli Wallach is a great reliable actor but I think he was greatly wasted in How to Steal a Million, his screen time was limited and his character was very two dimensional, playing the part of crooked art lover Davis Leland, the guy is interested in two things: expanding his art collection and falling in love with Nicole..., a fan of the works of Nicole's father Bonnet, he's very anxious to get his hands on the Cellini Venus that Simon and Nicole eventually steal. A bit of a dull story that was made edible by the craziness that's vastly inserted into the film..., very divisive, you'll either love the film or not love the film, it's okay but doesn't strike me as particularly great, I've seen better and I've seen better from this era.
Hitchcoc
I was required to write a review of this film for a Mass Media class in 1966. It was one of the most engaging comedy/thief movies I've ever seen. There are three reasons for this: Hugh Griffith, Audrey Hepburn, and Peter O'Toole. The plot involves a man who is a master art forger, Griffith. He is incredible at his work and is able to easily sell his artwork to wealthy, unsuspecting buyers. His daughter, played by Audrey, fears that he is going to go too far and end up in prison (and she as an accessory). He moves into another area, producing a Cellini Venus that is supposedly worth a fortune. It is on display in a museum but it has been stated that a new method of testing authenticity has been created. Audrey has had an encounter with O'Toole when he breaks into her father's studio and tries to steal a Van Gogh her father painted. They become allied through a series of events and are attracted romantically. The movie now revolves around the theft of the Venus to keep her father safe. What ensues is delightful. A wonderful, engaging film.
charmadu
First of all, full disclosure: I had a GIGUNDA crush on Peter O' Toole as a young girl, and this film catches him at a moment in his life when he not only looked crazy fabulous, but appears to be having the time of his life with this gossamer wing of a tale with... who else? The Queen of Gossamer Wing Tales herself, Audrey Hepburn. But above and beyond these two knockouts and the delightful chemistry they have together, and their wonderful cast (most notably Hugh Griffiths as Audrey's father), we have Paris, we have that enchanting musical title theme, we have that stunningly gorgeous house they live in, and those cars! Peter's citrine Jaguar XKE has to be the sexiest car that has ever been filmed. I don't even know what Audrey's car was but it is SO adorable and chic - whoever chose the cars should have been nominated for an Oscar for that alone. The script is clever, the Givenchy outfits are lovely, and Wiliam Wyler directs with such a light touch. Come visit the Paris of 1966 and watch Peter and Audrey fall in love!
tieman64
William Wyler's "How To Steal A Million" takes a dull hour to get going. When it does, it develops into a fairly okay comedy caper about a pair of art thieves. Standout attributes include a last act heist and Audrey Hepburn's face.The film has a very good reputation amongst a certain subset of people, largely due to a lingering infatuation over star Audrey Hepburn. She's an odd actress: fragile, angular, funny, effervescent, pixie-like, precious and always oh so immaculately dressed. "How To Steal A Million" - it's frequently shown at Hepburn conventions - seems to be loved largely by those who view Hepburn as a style icon and salivate over her Givenchy designed wardrobe.6/10 - Strictly for the fashion aficionados. Worth one viewing.
