Publisher: CinemaSerf June 2, 2024
"Laura" (Demi Moore) is the first woman manager at the London Diamond Corporation but regardless of her obvious skills, it's clear that she has reached the peak of her career. Continually passed over for promotion by mediocre men with carnations in their button holes, she becomes a bit despondent and the ideal executive target for the cleaner "Hobbs" (Sir Michael Caine) who's long nurtured a cunning plan. The film doesn't really dwell on the heist itself, suffice to say that when they open their vault door one morning, the powers that be have conniptions and boss "Ashtoncroft" (Joss Ackland) certainly needs his early morning brandy! They draft in "Finch" (Lambert Wilson) to investigate and pretty quickly he is drawn to the nervous "Laura" as she is also surprised by the scale of the crime. Things is - where did all the stones all go? It's quite an interesting premiss not unlike "11 Harrowhouse" (1974) but the pace is really quite slow and the pairing of Moore and Caine doesn't really catch fire. It does take a bit of a swipe at the venal, corporate incompetence, sexism and patronage and shines a light on crooked industrial and insurance arrangements that smack very much of emperor's new clothes, but it's just a bit under-written and lacklustre conclusion of this film rather sums it all up. Watchable, but entirely forgettable.