John Chard
Who says Bogart couldn't do comedy?
Joseph, Julius and Albert have escaped from Devil's island, whilst waiting for a ship to take them away, they plot to steal from the amiable Ducotel family. They bluff store owner Felix into letting them repair his roof, from here they plan to execute their robbery, but the more that the escapees observe this family, the more they find humane personas coming from within.
Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov take up the task of playing our villains who find hearts, where backed up with witty dialogue amongst the very tidily scripted piece, the result is a hugely enjoyable picture for all the family to enjoy. The film mostly works because of the interplay between Ustinov & Bogart, Ustinov's Jules is a softly spoken gentile sort of man and this oddly works well against Bogart's Joseph who is gruff and oozing toughness, this of course sets us up for some delightful scenes that leave a lasting impression. Witness Bogart in a pink apron!
Aldo Ray, perhaps not unsurprisingly, seems a touch out of place and looks swamped by the acting talent either side of him, but he does what is needed and his characters' pet snake, Adolphe, is the crucial meat in this films sandwich. Sadly Basil Rathbone is wasted by being reduced to what amounts to little more than a walk on villain part, but a great bonus is Leo G. Carroll as the hapless Felix Ducotel, charmingly oblivious to what is around him, Carroll gets the audience on board with a smashingly effective turn.
Perhaps viewed as a Christmas movie by many, it is however a film that can be watched at anytime of the year, a testament to what a good script can do for comedy. We're No Angels is never less than fun, and of course its backed up by a few highly watchable performances. 7/10
