'The Fortune' is a crime comedy, centred around the dubious exploits of two 1920s conmen, promisingly played by Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty. Their job is to cheat a wealthy woman out of her fortune, and the film starts off positively. The film's song, 'I Must Be Dreaming', is quite enjoyable, and I was glad to see Nichols reuse it in the credits at the end. Unfortunately, it all goes downhill from the hopeful first scene. The premise was interesting, but it may have been performed better if the film was more serious. It felt a little like a rom-com, road movie version of 'The Great Gatsby', and the effect wasn't very good. The script was a little off at times, and I think that, in places, Beatty failed to remain on Nicholson's level during their usually fun exchanges. There were a few genuinely funny scenes, but I don't think there were enough of them to justify watching this. Other scenes degenerated into mind- numbing silliness, almost to the point where the viewer forgets the plot or the premise of 'The Fortune'. Overall, I was quite disappointed with this film. Nicholson, as ever, delivered a great performance, but I don't think that 'The Fortune' operated along the right lines. It could have channelled the atmosphere of 'McCabe & Mrs. Miller', or been a serious Prohibition crime film, but its direction steered it into becoming a very mediocre comedy.
Review of The Fortune
