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The Swindle

Play trailer Poster for The Swindle Released Oct 24, 1997 1h 45m Comedy Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 49% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Con artists Victor (Michel Serrault) and Betty (Isabelle Huppert) are a perfect team when it comes to cheating gamblers out of their winnings. But Betty, who's a master of the art of seduction, has a bigger scheme in mind: double-crossing bagman Maurice Biagini (François Cluzet) out of millions of Swiss francs that belong to organized crime. While it sounds like an airtight plan, Victor -- no fool when it comes to matters of deception -- suspects a double cross.

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The Swindle

Critics Reviews

View All (28) Critics Reviews
Budd Wilkins Slant Magazine Underneath all the briskly delivered élan lurks a sly study of manipulation and the slipperiness of identity. May 5, 2022 Full Review Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times A work of superb yet unpretentious film craftsmanship by a past master and an impeccable cast and crew. Rated: 4.5/5 Feb 14, 2001 Full Review Amy Taubin Village Voice A failed attempt at frivolity. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Most entertaining. Rated: 3/4 May 16, 2022 Full Review Sean Axmaker Seanax.com It takes too long to get started and the playful coda is far too precious, but Chabrol builds to a vice-grip tension as small timers face the terror of big time killers... Mar 10, 2017 Full Review Mark Halverson Sacramento News & Review Rated: 3/5 Aug 7, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (18) audience reviews
Simon T A blackly comic late-Chabrol about cons and exactly who is conning who. And therein lies the problem. The plotting is so convoluted that you end up not caring, despite wonderfully droll performances from Isabelle Huppert and Michel Serrault, and crystalline direction by writer-director Claude Chabrol. Entertaining and frustrating. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/14/24 Full Review isla s This was a very enjoyable tale of double crossing. The characters are intriguing, the plot twists kept me on my feet and it features some good landscapes/cinematography. Its more about the story than it is about big budget looks but its quite compelling and I enjoyed how things worked out. I won't say anymore so as not to provide unnecessary spoilers (hopefully). Yes, I'd recommend this film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Victor and Betty (Michel Serrault and Isabelle Huppert) have a great angle. They go to business conventions, Berry lures a man to her room and then slips him a knockout cocktail. Victor then appears and they take the cash they need. Is there honor amongst thieves? Well, Victor lives by the rule that you should never be greedy and just take a small amount from each mark. Betty, however, wants bigger scams, so she joins up with Maurice (François Cluzet) and make a big switch that gets them all 5 million francs. But then Maurice turns up dead and the people who did it have Victor and Betty marked for their next victims. Director and writer Claude Chabrol's fiftieth film, The Swindle even pulls a trick on audiences, never revealing if Victor and Betty are relatives, associates or lovers. You can watch the movie multiple times and draw your own conclusion and make your own story within the game that Chabrol has created. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member An unexceptional addition to the world of Chabrol. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Never quite makes sense, but good frothy fun nevertheless. Huppert and Serrault rapport nicely. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Le film est sympathique, c'est un vrai Chabrol ! Michel Serrault est super, comme d'habitude, quel plaisir de le revoir ! C'est aussi "drôle" de voir François Cluzet tout jeune. Si vous aimez Chabrol, alors n'hésitez pas. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Swindle

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The Swindle

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Movie Info

Synopsis Con artists Victor (Michel Serrault) and Betty (Isabelle Huppert) are a perfect team when it comes to cheating gamblers out of their winnings. But Betty, who's a master of the art of seduction, has a bigger scheme in mind: double-crossing bagman Maurice Biagini (François Cluzet) out of millions of Swiss francs that belong to organized crime. While it sounds like an airtight plan, Victor -- no fool when it comes to matters of deception -- suspects a double cross.
Director
Claude Chabrol
Producer
Marin Karmitz
Screenwriter
Claude Chabrol
Distributor
New Yorker Films
Genre
Comedy, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 24, 1997, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 21, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$245.4K
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR
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