Released theatrically three years ago as Magic Boys, Robert Koltai and Eva Gardos’ caper dramedy has been generically renamed Diamond Heist for its 2015 DVD release. Amid the clutter and disarray of the storytelling and characters in this story pitting two rivals bent on one-upping each other, there are the makings of a decent movie, but with sometimes incoherent direction and a lack of viable motivations prevalent throughout, Diamond Heist is more frustrating than satisfying.
Studio: Other
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 480P/MPEG-2
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English 5.1 DD
Subtitles: English
Rating: Not Rated
Run Time: 1 Hr. 34 Min.
Package Includes: DVD
Amaray caseDisc Type: DVD-5 (single layer)
Region: 1
Release Date: 03/24/2015
MSRP: $19.97
The Production Rating: 1.5/5
The screenplay by Ivo Marloh and Dénes Orosz and the direction by Róbert Koltai do rather miserable jobs in transitioning between all the various sequences in the film with wildly screaming women going mad for these male strippers (Magic Mike must have been a major influence on the construction of this story) and the diamond heist/betrayal plot which never quite makes much sense (especially some last minute revelations from Cherry). For comic relief between the serious scenes of crime unfolding and the two crime bosses trying to best each other, we have the comic subplots of the two clueless Hungarians attempting to brave the challenges of male stripping while the two men who were supposed to be the replacements (Ferenc Hujber, Sandor Nagy) make their own way to London and end up mistakenly at an S&M club at the mercy of some vicious masters and edgy clientele. The slapstick antics with the grifters isn’t milked nearly enough for all of the comic potential it contains (amusingly, the women go just as mad for these schlubby, below average gents as they do for the sculpted Adonises with their slick choreographed routines), and even at 94 minutes, the film seems padded and insubstantial.
Of the two English-as-a-first-language-speaking stars, Michael Madsen has by far the bigger role, but it’s Vinnie Jones whose imposing size and simmering fury continually catch the eye and rivet the attention. Madsen seems a bit erratic in his playing (no doubt the fault of the script which doesn’t provide great motivation for his actions and behaviors) with his threats seeming rather empty and facile. Jamelia does what she can with Cherry Valentine while Tamer Hassan as Terence’s right-hand man Ben has a very confusing role even donning drag for a birthday party sequence for no comprehensible reason (sequences like this seem to have been inserted willy-nilly into the movie to add color and oddity to the proceedings, and a gay bellhop played by Luke Brandon Field who develops a crush on one of the Hungarians likewise seems to have been added to contribute to the movie’s wacky tone, but it doesn’t go anywhere). Gyözö Szabó and Csaba Pindroch as the two ducks-out-of-water Hungarians do have sporadic moments of fun with their discomforting situation and give the movie whatever entertainment value it has.
Video Rating: 4/5 3D Rating: NA
Audio Rating: 4/5
Special Features Rating: 0/5
Overall Rating: 1.5/5
Reviewed By: Matt Hough
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