Foul Play

Directed by Colin Higgins, Foul Play follows Goldie Hawn’s Gloria Mundy and Chevy Chase’s Tony Carlson as they find themselves caught up in a plot to kill the Pope. It’s a comfortably familiar premise that’s employed to somewhat overlong yet mostly entertaining effect by Higgins, as the filmmaker delivers a briskly-paced Hitchock homage that benefits substantially from the charismatic work of its stars – with Hawn and Chase’s solid efforts here, as well as their palpable chemistry together, elevating the proceedings on an impressively regular basis. There’s little doubt, too, that Foul Play‘s success can be attributed to a narrative that’s been punctuated with a number of exciting, engaging sequences, including a fairly captivating climax involving a car chase and an opera-set assassination attempt, although it’s equally clear that the padded-out running time does result in some needless sequences along the way. (A tedious fight between Burgess Meredith’s Hennessey and Rachel Roberts’ Casswell is a low point, to be sure.) The final result is a perpetually compelling endeavor that generally fares a whole lot better than one might’ve anticipated, and it’s apparent, ultimately, that Foul Play often succeeds in equal parts as both a thriller and a comedy. (The latter is undoubtedly reflected most keenly in Dudley Moore’s hilarious cameo as a bumbling conductor.)

*** out of ****