Entrapment

A movie by Jon Amiel

With Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sean Connery and others

Monika says:

The title of the movie gives rise to an interesting question. Entrapment. Who is entrapped? The audience? Or rather the male lead who seems all too eager to be wrapped around a finger of his very young female partner. The latter isn’t just looking for a father but for a grandfather figure. But the difference in age is a mere 40 years, which guarantees crackling eroticism, and the male part of the audience won’t pay attention to this extremely realistic combination anyway because they’re too busy admiring the butt and legs of Catherine Zeta-Jones for two hours.

It’s amazing that under these conditions a tolerable thriller was made. The impeccable insurance employee Gin Baker (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is to put a stop to the activities of thief Robert MacDougal (Sean Connery), but turns out to be a master thief herself. Instead of turning him in she hires Mac for her next grand coup. And since this works out nicely she asks him to join her in her next project: ripping off a bank making use of the millenium bug on New Year’s Eve 1999. Here, however, the pair gets into a big mess and the audience gets to enjoy a chase that would have made James Bond proud.

Don’t look too closely at the plot, though, or you will immediately spot some major holes (and not just after you thought about them at home), big enough to drive a truck through them. But who looks for logic in a movie like that. It’s supposed to entertain and take the audience to a different - if unreal - world for two hours. However, Sean Connery seems to be going downhill since his Bond days, or how would you explain the fact that his female partners are getting younger with every movie. Too bad that such a talented actor only gets mediocre parts. The times when he was allowed to show his potential seem to be over. And since the part is poor he adapts his performance to it. Perhaps he can’t afford to retire yet. Let’s hope we don’t have to face more of these grandfather/granddaughter constellations. It would be a pity.

This movie was made for a male audience. Instead of expensive special effects they can watch Catherine Zeta-Jones perform her acrobatic tricks and admire her curves. The female part of the audience has to make do with the memory of a formerly great Sean Connery. Cold comfort and a worthy prelude to the traditionally boring summer months at the movies.

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Monika Hübner