Marcello Mastroianni as a descendant of Russian aristocracy trying to steal the jewels that his father lost in roulette on the day he was born, assisted by a crack team of 7 beautiful women? It sounds better than it plays. Marcello is clearly enjoying himself playing multiple roles (the central character and other members of his royal family who frequently "appear" in his mind and guide him), and unless I'm mistaken he is also the one who sings the terrific title song, as for the women (the team includes a "reformed" thief, a cat burglar, a Marxist, an Asian stripper, and three identical judo-practicing sisters!), they are attractive and fun to watch. The film, however, is not particularly funny; the capers themselves are both hard to follow and hard to believe. It also goes on a bit too long. ** out of 4.
6 Reviews
This shiny breakfast never crossed the pond.
mark.waltz17 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I was very surprised to find out that this British comedy starring Italian heartthrob Marcello Mastroianni never made it to the United States for a theatrical release. It is a bright and entertaining comedy about a broke Russian nobleman who finds out that the family jewels of his impoverished dynasty are now in the British museum. Mastroianni enlist the aid of some of the most beautiful jewel thieves from all over the world (Rita Tushingham, Elaine Taylor, Margaret Blye, Francesca Tu among them), and sets out a lavish plot to steal them back at a display of them where they are being modeled, and the Intrigue illusion up to that is quite amusing.
This is one of many Caper comedies of the 1960's that teachers exotic places and some delightfully campy fashions, and Mastroianni keeps having fantasy flashbacks to Russia before the revolution. The credit sequence explain the history of the family, and is quite funny so the story gets off the minute the film begins. This is a parody of Russian nobility told respectfully which includes an elaborate Russian dance that takes place during the presentation. It's a visual treat as well as a witty one, with a bit of farce added into the caper. As usual Mastroianni is dashing and quite the romantic ladies man, although they manage to keep him under control, particularly in one sequence were a few of the female cat burglars seem to be burglaring him.
This is one of many Caper comedies of the 1960's that teachers exotic places and some delightfully campy fashions, and Mastroianni keeps having fantasy flashbacks to Russia before the revolution. The credit sequence explain the history of the family, and is quite funny so the story gets off the minute the film begins. This is a parody of Russian nobility told respectfully which includes an elaborate Russian dance that takes place during the presentation. It's a visual treat as well as a witty one, with a bit of farce added into the caper. As usual Mastroianni is dashing and quite the romantic ladies man, although they manage to keep him under control, particularly in one sequence were a few of the female cat burglars seem to be burglaring him.
Putative Caper Comedy Fails To Sparkle
boblipton4 June 2023
On learning his wife has given birth to a son, the Russian Grand Duke wagers the last of the Imperial jewels. Some decades later, the son, played by Marcello Mastroianni, sees them as part of an exhibition at an English museum. When he recovers, he assembles a team of lady burglars to steal them.
Mastroianni should be having a lot of fun, playing his role and all his ancestors, and with the women, including Rita Tushingham, Elaine Taylor, Margaret Blye, Francesca Tu, and the Karlin Triplets. He seems at sea speaking English, with none of the comic charm he typically offers in Italian movies. The pacing seems erratic, as if large swaths have been cut out in an effort to transmute smuttiness into ribaldry.
Perhaps it is the lack of anything in the way of character for any of the performers, save for Miss Tushingham, Nora Nicholson as an elderly Grand Duchess, and David Horne in his last screen appearance, as a bleary-eyed English aristocrat. In any case, it's not much good.
Mastroianni should be having a lot of fun, playing his role and all his ancestors, and with the women, including Rita Tushingham, Elaine Taylor, Margaret Blye, Francesca Tu, and the Karlin Triplets. He seems at sea speaking English, with none of the comic charm he typically offers in Italian movies. The pacing seems erratic, as if large swaths have been cut out in an effort to transmute smuttiness into ribaldry.
Perhaps it is the lack of anything in the way of character for any of the performers, save for Miss Tushingham, Nora Nicholson as an elderly Grand Duchess, and David Horne in his last screen appearance, as a bleary-eyed English aristocrat. In any case, it's not much good.
Embarassing 'Swinging London" caper film...
kernanbrent18 April 2020
Just put a number of hot girls in go-go outfits on screen with one male star in the center and the movie writes itself. This formulaic mad-cap caper film follows in the footsteps of "Casino Royale" and "Blaise Modesty" in its use of colorfully dressed beauties that are calculated to divert attention from the lack of plot, character, humor, tension or anything else that might require talent to pull off. You might like it just to see how silly these sort of late-60s movies could get.
Waste of time!
RodrigAndrisan17 September 2023
I love Marcello Mastroianni, especially in films like "Divorce Italian Style" (1961) Original title: Divorzio all'italiana, Director Pietro Germi, "Break-Up" (1968) Original title: L'uomo dei cinque palloni, Director Marco Ferreri, "The Big Feast" (1973) Original title: La grande bouffe, Director again Marco Ferreri, "Dark Eyes" (1987) Original title: Oci ciornie, Director Nikita Mikhalkov. I love Rita Tushingham in films like
"The Trap" (1966), Director Sidney Hayers, and "Doctor Zhivago (1965), Director David Lean. Then I love those films with heists made in the '60s, like "Seven Golden Men" (1965) Original title: 7 uomini d'oro, "Il grande colpo dei 7 uomini d'oro" (1966), "Topkapi" (1964), "Treasure of San Gennaro" (1966) Original title: Operazione San Gennaro, and especially "Sette volte sette" (1969). The director of this "Diamonds for Breakfast", Christopher Morahan, together with Mastroianni and Rita, they would have done very well not to make this film. But, you know, actors and directors have to eat too, even when they have a very bad script...
amusing trifle
tracyfigueira19 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
It's been a long time since I've seen this film, but I watched it a couple of times back in the eighties and thought it was quite funny. Marcello Mastrioanni plays an aristocratic playboy who's descended from the Romanovs. He thinks the Russian Crown Jewels are rightfully his, so when they arrive in London for a museum display he decides to steal them. He recruits a posse of beautiful girls to help him pull of the heist, including his current girl friend Rita Tusingham. "Diamonds for Breakfast" is fairly typical of the kind of light-hearted comedy-caper film popular in the late 60s and capitalizes on the whole Swinging London mystique with its playboy hero and its bevy of young lovelies. It doesn't have a lot of depth but it's fun.
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