Raffles

Wow, I was really underwhelmed by this film. Despite starring David Niven and Olivia de Havilland, this was an amazingly uninspired film. After all, the story is about a rich society thief who is a champion cricket player--you'd think there'd be more action and exotic or fashionable locales. But, instead, the film is very, very stagnant and the majority of the action (such as it is) takes place in a manor home where Raffles is staying along with a few other rich swells. It was so turgid, that at times I found myself falling asleep. I kept waiting and hoping for a fist fight or SOMETHING, but instead the film was very talky and all so well-mannered. A very uninspired script with an abrupt and senseless ending as well as lackluster direction conspired to keep this film in the category of 'mediocre', but it's still watchable due to the screen presence of its stars--especially the always lovely Miss de Havilland.