It's clear that the makers of "And Now . . . Ladies & Gentlemen" were trying to make something that could be favorably compared to the classy caper thrillers of the '50s.
The problem is, the material isn't nearly witty or involving enough to receive such consideration, and its stars — Jeremy Irons and Patricia Kaas — are hardly the type of performers who could possibly be compared to the likes of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.
That said, this loopy and rather slow-paced drama does have its moments, including unexpected (and sometimes unintentional) humor. That alone might make you want to like the film more than you probably should.
Irons is Valentin Valentin, an unlikely named international jewel thief who has tired of his choice of careers. In fact, he's just plain tired, and he's been suffering from blackouts.
Not too coincidentally, so has Jane Lester (European entertainer Kaas, making her big-screen debut), a jazz singer who has taken to wandering offstage in the middle of songs.
The two of them meet in Morocco; he's been sailing around the world but needs medical attention, while she has taken a job as a lounge singer for a hotel chain.
They also discover that they have quite a bit in common and not just because of their blackouts and occasional lapses in memory. However, this promising new relationship is threatened by a few things from at least one of their pasts.
None of this is a bad idea for a movie, but the whole thing is played entirely too straight-faced. Typical of the film's missteps is a scene in which Irons' character pulls off a theft while dressed in drag. And it's not meant to be funny! (It's as if co-screenwriter/director Claude Lelouch has no idea how ridiculous some of the material really is.)
Irons works his hardest to make this hokum believable. And it is nice to see him playing a character who's not completely evil for a change. But he and glacial newcomer Kaas don't create any sparks.
"And Now . . . Ladies & Gentlemen" is rated PG-13 for scattered use of profanity (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), violence (a back-alley brawl) and brief drug content (prescription drug use). Running time: 128 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com