Rogues' Tricks (1907)
*** (out of 4)
aka La douche d'eau bouillante
Fun film from French master Georges Melies has a couple burglar's breaking into a man's home and having to hide when that man returns. Instead of a trick film or something that he's known for, the director really changes gears here and instead delivers what's basically an action movie. While the thing is far from perfect I think fans of the director should still have a good time with it and at four-minutes the thing will be over before you know it. What I liked most was the extremely fast tempo that Melies has going on because once the burglars realize that they're about to be busted, they go from one room to the next trying to get away but they just keep getting in more trouble. Melies plays the home owner and does a nice job and especially with some comic timing when he falls into a tub.