Entrapment (1999)

Director:

Jon Amiel

Writers (WGA):

Ronald Bass (story) and
Michael Hertzberg (story) ...

Release Date:

30 April 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. Then again, practice makes perfect.

Plot:

Catherine Zeta-Jones works for an insurance agency that sends her to track down and help capture an art thief, played by Sean Connery.

Plot Keywords:

Insurance | Mask | Art Thief | Master Thief | Hanging

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Robert MacDougal
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Virginia Baker
Ving Rhames	...	Aaron Thibadeaux
Will Patton	...	Hector Cruz
Maury Chaykin	...	Conrad Greene
Kevin McNally	...	Haas
Terry O'Neill	...	Quinn
Madhav Sharma	...	Security Chief
David Yip	...	Chief of Police
Tim Potter	...	Millennium Man
Eric Meyers	...	Waverly Technician
Aaron Swartz	...	Cruz's Man
William Marsh	...	Computer Technician
Tony Xu	...	Banker
Rolf Saxon	...	Director

Also Known As:

Untitled Antoine Fuqua Project (USA) (working title)
Verlockende Falle (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some language, sensuality, violence and drug content.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA | UK | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #36624) | Iceland:12 | Malaysia:U | Philippines:PG-13 | Italy:T (tv rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 (cut)

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The building used for exterior shots of Mac's safe house (Castle Duart on the Isle of Mull) is the ancestral home of the chief of the Clan MacLean, which is the maiden name of Connery's mother.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Gin is stealing the mask, she carefully raises her leg to avoid a laser, and then moves both arms right through the same beam.

Quotes:

Gin: Is all this paid for?
Mac: With blood.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Festival in Cannes (2001)

Soundtrack:

Lost My Faith

Walked into the trap

"Entrapment" It's got two handsome stars, a smooth portrayal of stealing, and just a hint of action and romance. Considering that this doesn't end at the prom or a warehouse, this is a breath of fresh air. Director Jon Amiel has a very checkered past, but with "Entrapment", I've never seen him so sure of himself. The film glides effortlessly between some sketchily drawn romantic inclinations to well-executed scenes of training to actually exciting action moments of the heists. It's a nice package.

The film is really about the art, or maybe even the beauty, of stealing. A refreshing idea that hasn't been considered in some time. There is a giddy glee in just watching the thieves use high tech mechanisms to outsmart the systems that house the loot. It's a carefully paced film, so the usual action-payoff-drama-action-payoff-drama form for these types of movies isn't used here. It's entertaining as hell, and the climax holds many thrills.

Like I said before, the two leads are some of the finest looking in the film biz. Sean Connery makes a wonderful choice by playing off his old age. As the character, he seems overwhelmed by Catherine Zeta-Jones. It makes for a few moments of sly comedy. As for Ms. Zeta-Jones, it has been said of her that she takes the best close-up in current motion pictures. "Entrapment" proves that statement time and again. While she does struggle trying to keep down her natural Welsh accent, Zeta-Jones makes for a lively sidekick to Connery, and despite the ballyhooed age difference, they work together just fine.

Despite a lackluster and forced final, "Entrapment" works better than you may think. It's easy to get hung up on the age difference or Connery's hairpiece, but the movie is too much fun to be bothered with such minute details. This is good pre-summer entertainment. I give the filmmakers kudos for keeping the tone light and the suspense on 11.------------ 8