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(About Our Ads) "AND NOW LADIES AND GENTLEMEN" (2003) (Jeremy Irons, Patricia Kaas) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Minor Heavy Minor Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None Minor None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Mild Mild Mild Mild QUICK TAKE: Drama: Suffering from similar but undiagnosed bouts of blackouts and amnesia, a jewel thief and a lounge singer fall in love after meeting in Morocco where they hope they'll find a cure for what ails them. PLOT: Valentin (JEREMY IRONS) is an English professional thief and con man who uses his charisma and wits to pull off his jobs without anyone getting hurt. He dreams, however, of selling the high seas in a yacht purchased from Thierry (THIERRY LHERMITTE), but suffers from bouts of blackouts and amnesia. Even so, and despite living with Francoise (ALESSANDRA MARTINES), he decides to sail around the world by himself. After another blackout session at sea, he finds himself in a coastal Moroccan town under the care of Dr. Lamy (JEAN-MARIE BIGARD), who's also treating another blackout sufferer, Jane Lester (PATRICIA KAAS). She's a Parisian nightclub lounge singer whose boyfriend has decided to run off with her singing partner, and is now in the African country looking for a cure for her ailment and a new lease on life, much like Valentin. The two meet, become friends and head off for the tomb of a Moroccan leader that supposedly will cure any malady. Yet, when the jewels of the wealthy Madame Falconnetti (CLAUDIA CARDINALE) end up being stolen, the authorities soon suspect that Valentin is their man. From that point on, the jewel thief and the lounge singer hope that their chance meeting might change their lives for the better. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, it doesn't seem very likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For momentary language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JEREMY IRONS plays a clever and charismatic jewel thief who uses some profanity, suffers from blackouts and amnesia, and ends up meeting Jane after sailing the high seas. PATRICIA KAAS plays a lounge singer who similarly suffers from headaches, blackouts and amnesia. She uses some profanity and is searching for a cure and new life after her boyfriend leaves her for another woman. THIERRY LHERMITTE plays the boat seller who sells Valentin a sailboat but ends up with Francoise. ALESSANDRA MARTINES plays Valentin's significant other that he met at a jewelry store but who runs off with another man. CLAUDIA CARDINALE plays a wealthy woman who's having an affair with a younger man, has her valuable jewelry stolen, and briefly uses strong profanity. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this drama that's been rated PG-13, where not everything is as it initially seems. Profanity consists of at least 1 "f" word, while other expletives and a few colorful phrases are present. Non-explicit, sexually related dialogue also occurs, while one scene shows a topless woman caressing a man's bare chest (while standing behind him, thus her breasts are not visible). Various characters smoke and/or drink, some have bad attitudes, and some behavior (most notably the clever robbery schemes) might be enticing for some teens to try to imitate. Violence consists of some people being threatened with guns or knives, but no one is harmed, while some brief fighting and boxing blows are present. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Police give Jane a breathalyzer type test (for repeatedly driving around a traffic circle) but it comes back negative. Jane has a beer while her boyfriend has a drink. Valentin and Francoise have wine. Francoise brings Valentin some wine and he drinks it. Some people have wine. We see wine on a table. A doctor tells Valentin that the two should go and have drinks. Miscellaneous people drink. Valentin orders some wine at a bar. A doctor drinks some sort of alcoholic beverage. Some people have champagne. Valentin comments that the only icebergs around him are those in his Scotch. Thierry has wine. There's wine on the table in front of Madame Falconnetti and her husband. BLOOD/GORE We see a little bit of blood on a boxer's face during a match on TV. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Viewers should note that not everything is as it initially seems or is seen. Valentin is a professional thief who robs jewelry stores (he also purposefully flattens a woman's car tire so that he can get to know her). He does, however, often return what he stole. We learn that Jane's boyfriend and musical partner has left her for her best friend (and their fellow musical partner). We get the impression that Valentin has not been faithful to Francoise (she asks if he has and he replies, "Often") and she seems to have paired up with another man. Two men seem prepared to do something bad to Jane when they encounter her in a darkened side alley (but nothing happens as Valentin shows up). A masked man holds a knife to Madame Falconnetti while robbing her of millions of dollars of jewelry. To cover for Valentin when the police ask about his whereabouts during a nighttime robbery, Jane states that he was with her. She then tells Valentin that she prefers robbers to the police. Valentin lies to Francoise on the phone about his whereabouts. It's implied and then later confirmed that Madame Falconnetti has been having an affair with a much younger man (and she tells her husband that she knows he's had affairs as well). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" might also be unsettling or suspenseful for some viewers. Two men seem prepared to do something bad to Jane when they encounter her in a darkened side alley (but nothing happens as Valentin shows up). GUNS/WEAPONS Pistol: Used by Valentin in several jewelry store robberies. Knives: Used by Valentin to purposefully flatten a woman's car tire so that he can get to know her; by a masked man who holds one to a woman's neck while robbing her; and pulled by two men on a woman in a flashback scene. Handgun: Worn by a detective. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases (most in English subtitles): "F*ck off," "Nuts" (crazy), "Hot damn" "Kicked your ass," "Screw up" and "Screw you." Some teens could be enticed to imitate some of Valentin's robbery techniques (such as coming in first and stating that he's with the police and informing the jewelry store workers that a robber will be coming through and to comply with his demands since the police will be waiting outside - which they won't since there aren't any police). Jane and her singing partner wear midriff-revealing tops. Valentin purposefully flattens a woman's car tire so that he can get to know her. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A tiny bit of suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word, 6 "s" words, 6 damns, 1 ass, 1 hell and 1 use of "Jesus" as exclamations (most in English subtitles). SEX/NUDITY Jane shows some cleavage in several scenes, while a miscellaneous woman does the same in one. After Valentin has left for his round the world boat trip, Francoise tells Thierry that she's ready to have a tryst (saying it's now or never). He comments that she's a handful, she asks if that turns him on and he jokingly replies that he loves handcuffs. We see a great deal of part of Jane's upper thigh as she sits with her leg propped up (wearing a dress) while performing a song. To cover for Valentin when the police ask about his whereabouts during a nighttime robbery, Jane states that he was with her. We see a flashback version of Jane's recounting what occurred the night before (that apparently didn't happen, but that's not for sure). In that, she and Valentin passionately kiss (while clothed and standing). She then teases Valentin by telling him that they "made love" until dawn. She then equates that to a movie and he playfully says that if it's playing again tonight, he'd like to see it. We then see a brief shot of her standing behind him apparently topless (we only see part of her bare back) as she caresses his bare chest (in his open shirt). He then wants to know if that was the truth about what occurred last night and she playfully replies that maybe it was. A man questioned by the police states that he was in the bed of a pretty girl when a robbery took place. After Valentin outbids a man for a prized statue of a boy, a joke is made about paying that much for a boy and Valentin says he always does (something of a homosexual pedophile reference). We see a few adult men in small bathing suits. Valentin and Jane do some passionate, clothed kissing. SMOKING Valentin (some cigars) and Madame Falconnetti each smoke several times, while various miscellaneous characters also smoke. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We get the impression that Valentin has not been faithful to Francoise (she asks if he has and he replies, "Often") and she seems to have paired up with another man. It's implied and then later confirmed that Madame Falconnetti has been having an affair with a much younger man (and she tells her husband that she knows he's had affairs as well). There's no big blow-up about that, but the husband does yell at her for allowing her jewelry to be stolen. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Blackouts, amnesia and other such disorders. Charismatic and/or clever thieves. The comment that lies are dreams caught red-handed. The question about whether one would open an envelope knowing that it contained the date of their future death. VIOLENCE Valentin holds a pistol to a jewelry store owner's neck while robbing the place (but has no real intention of harming him). We see a little bit of blood on a boxer's face during a match on TV (we also see a few related blows). A masked man holds a knife to Madame Falconnetti while robbing her of millions of dollars of jewelry. We see a flashback version of Jane's recounting what occurred the night before (that apparently didn't happen, but that's not for sure). Two men pull knives on Jane in an alley, but Valentin shows up, and hits and kicks them several times (nothing graphic). Reviewed May 16, 2003 / Posted August 8, 2003