What it’s about
Sexy American jewel thief Wanda Gerschwitz (Curtis) manages to pull off a dangerous heist with her three self-interested criminal associates: Cockney tough George (Georgeson), stuttering hit man Ken (Palin), and her own dimwitted lover Otto (Kline), an ex-CIA operative. When George ends up in the slammer, Wanda sets out to seduce his buttoned-down barrister, Archie Leach (Cleese), in hopes of learning where the rocks are stashed.
Why we love it
Penned by Monty Python alum Cleese, Crichton’s hilarious caper comedy is a riotous mix of hysterical pratfalls, over-the-top sight gags, and devious double-crosses. Curtis smolders as the alluring, manipulative gangleader who seduces and then falls for Cleese’s comically repressed Archie. But this movie wouldn’t be half as funny without Oscar winner Kevin Kline, the psychotic mush-for-brains who likes to sniff his underarms before lovemaking and who indignantly yelps, “Don’t call me stupid!” Palin is the film’s other secret weapon, at once outrageous and pathetic as a stammering, animal-loving assassin. For a zany night out, make a date with “Wanda.”
Jamie Lee Curtis, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline, Tom Georgeson Charles Crichton