Norman Jewison directs Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway and Paul Burke in this romantic heist thriller where a well-to-do criminal mastermind falls for the insurance investigator trying to nab him.

Dated enough now that its visually heady brew of cool, camp, chic and collages somehow works again. McQueen is a little miscast. He’s a bit too bristling man-of-action for an essentially passive, fantasy figure role. Watching him try to casually laugh or pretend he is interested in contracts is a little risible… maybe Jewison exploits the happy accident. Dunaway has fun though in one of her lightest turns. Very much a case of style over substance, like the infamous theme song Windmills Of Your Mind, it exists in its own little bubble and ultimately doesn’t mean anything. Time travelling – with one great heist and lots of lifestyle porn.

7

Perfect Double Bill: The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/ and my own Substack https://substack.com/@edinburghlaughterbulletin