$ (1971)

Directed by Richard Brooks. Starring Warren Beatty, Goldie Hawn, Gert Fröbe, Scott Brady, Robert Webber, Arthur Brauss, Wolfgang Kieling, Robert Stiles, Christiane Maybach. [R]

Long, leaden caper movie tries for breezy, but all the air has been sucked out of the room. Security consultant Beatty and ditzy hooker Hawn team up to knock off a few safety deposit boxes in a West German bank belonging to criminals, but the usual complications and repercussions arise, and there’s the question over whether Hawn is as dumb as she acts—maybe she’s planning a double-cross to keep all the money herself. The bad guys, excluding a raspy German drug smuggler who looks like he could be Daniel Craig’s brother, are played more for foolishness and slapstick than menace and wiles. Climactic chase just goes on and on and on. Not even Gert Fröbe’s tongue-in-cheek casting or Quincy Jones’ spirited, stylish musical score (featuring vocal performances from Little Richard) can liven the mood. Also known as Dollar$ or $ (Dollars).

44/100