Sorry, this movie sucks

Absolutely the worst movie.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Not having a clue as to what this film was about, we took a chance when it showed on cable recently. It appears "High Heels and Low Lives", directed by comic actor Mel Smith, must have gone directly into video, or at least, we don't recall it having played commercially in the States.The film offers an unusual pair of Thelma and Louise wannabes, who learn about a gang having a great fortune gotten from a robbery and decide to take things in their own hands to outsmart the criminals in order to steal their cash without much effort. Shannon, a nurse, befriends a struggling American actress, Frances, even teaching her how to speak with the proper accent. Both women succeed in unexpected ways to get away with the loot.The film works because of the chemistry between Minnie Driver, who plays Shannon, and Mary McCormack, seen as Frances. This was a felicitous pairing because of the fun they must have had making the movie. Kevin McNally appears as Mason, a criminal without any redeeming qualities and who deserves to be outwitted by the women. Michael Gambon has a great time impersonating Kerrigan, an aging gay mobster. Mr. Gambon usually seen in heavier parts, contributes to the success of this movie that doesn't pretend to be anything but a fun time for the fans not looking into a complicated time with a DVD.

The direction from Mel Smith is pedestrian at best, and the plot falls between two stools, being neither farcical nor plausible. Rather than being swept up in events, the female protagonists doggedly pursue a reckless course of action without adequate motivation. The cartoon violence, in which despite hails of bullets no-one actually gets killed, contributes to the lack of edge. We never really care about the heroines, because we never feel they are actually in any danger. A further problem is Mary McCormack, who just does not have the comic chops to carry off the demands placed on her. One would have hoped in any case that British cinema had got beyond the point of importing Hollywood C-listers in the forlorn hope of sales across the Pond. It might have been interesting to see what a talented British comedienne, such as Jane Horrocks or Sally Phillips, could have done with the role. The jolie laide Minnie Driver puts in an acceptable performance in a less demanding role, without doing anything to suggest that a career in comedy lies before her. Michael Gambon lends some much needed menace as a camp East End gangster, and Kevin McNally and Len Collin astutely play it straight as the heavies, but for laughs the film relies on the comic coppers, Mark Williams, as the acerbic inspector, and Kevin Eldon as his property price obsessed sergeant. Other familiar Brit faces, such as Hugh Bonneville, Paul Bown and Julian Wadham, do the best they can with blink-and-you'll-miss-them cameos. It is harmless enough way to pass an hour and a half, and will raise the occasional smile, but you will find yourself easily distracted.

Two best friends - Shannon (Minnie Driver) and Frances (Mary McCormack) found out that a bank in their neighbourhood had been broken into. But instead of reporting it to the police, they decided to take things into their own hands.And it led to hilarious and serious consequences along the way. Really!I am very surprised at the versatility of Michael Gambon's role as Kerrigan in this movie. Like many Harry Potter fans like myself (eh yes...), I am only first aware of his role as Dumbledore from the third Potter movie. He really played the baddie in this one well which almost could not led me to recognise him.The two main female protagonists really know how to kick some butt, despite one of them plays a nurse and the other plays an aspiring actress in the movie.Saw this over the weekend on the television here and I have a good time along the way. The British accents may sound a little foreign to anyone outside of the UK, but then it's worth a watch. If you are the kind who like to see girls kicking some real butt over the bad guys, British-style.

This movie starts out unremarkable, but it gets better, so stick with it. It is alternately silly (mostly in the first and last 15 minutes) and edgy (in the middle), but if you can ignore the various implausibilities (why would such a well-organized and highly professional team of robbers have such a moron as their lookout in the first place?) it's fun, with engaging performances particularly by Minnie Driver and Kevin McNally (who does the right thing by playing his role straight). In any case, it is much better than the very similar and mean-spirited "Beautiful Creatures" from the same year. (**1/2)