It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

'Rotten To The Core' ( 1965 ) is a bright, breezy crime comedy set in Harold Wilson's Britain. It opens with freeze-frames of Wilson himself, a voice-over courtesy of Mike Yarwood, and a loud raspberry. None of which has anything to do with the story that follows ( the titles are augmented by a horrible jazz theme sung by an uncredited woman who sounds like Cleo Laine on a bad day ). Having managed to send up the trade union movement in 'I'm Alright Jack' ( 1959 ), organised religion in 'Heavens' Above' ( 1963 ), and the legal profession in 'Brothers In Law' ( 1957 ), here the Boulting Brothers lowered their sights considerably. 'Core' is another in a seemingly long line of 'loveable crooks' comedies, which can be traced back to 'The Lavender Hill Mob' ( and probably before even that ). Three incompetent villains - 'Scarpa Flood' ( James Beckett ), 'Lenny The Dip' ( Kenneth Griffith ) and 'Jelly Knight' ( Dudley Sutton ) - are simultaneously released from prison ( where they have served 18 months for robbery ), and set about trying to locate their gang leader - 'Randolph Berkeley-Greene' a.k.a. 'The Duke' ( Anton Rodgers ). They think at first he has died, but he is very much alive. While they have been inside, the wily mastermind has invested their share of their loot in his next big plan - to steal the British army's payroll. The Duke's girlfriend 'Sara' ( Charlotte Rampling ) is used as bait to ensnare the bone-headed 'Lieutenant Percy Vine' ( Ian Bannen )...In keeping with the classlessness of those times, 'Berkeley-Greene' is an ordinary Cockney crook trying to be aristocratic, while Sara is a rich man's daughter palling around with criminals so as to inject excitement into her drab life. 'The Duke' is almost identical to 'Pearly Gates' - the Peter Sellers character from Cliff Owen's 'The Wrong Arm Of The Law' ( 1963 ). Only instead of a fashion shop, he now runs a health spa, giving gin-laced water to the elderly residents who drink it thinking it to be spring water. Berkeley-Greene also has a knack for ingenious disguises. Rodgers is no Sellers, of course, but manages a reasonable job. Rampling, on the other hand, looks hopelessly out of place. Victor Maddern's 'Anxious O'Toole' may or may not have been inspired by 'Nervous O'Toole' ( Bernard Cribbins ), also from 'Wrong Arm'. Lenny, Jelly and Scarpa seem to be the same crooks from Robert Day's 'Two-Way Stretch' ( 1962 ), played on that occasion by Bernard Cribbins, David Lodge and Peter Sellers ( although the latter's character was called 'Dodger Lane' ). One wonders whether or not 'Core' started life as two scripts, one a sequel to 'Stretch', the other to 'Wrong Arm', until it occurred to someone to combine them. 'Core' is not as good as either, but has more than its fair share of laughs, particularly when Eric Sykes is around ( cast as a hopeless private detective who got thrown off the police force for having flat feet ). Other familiar faces include Peter Vaughan, Raymond Huntley, Thorley Walters, and Avis Bunnage.Things To Look Out For - on the London Underground, Roy Boulting is amongst the crowd. Or maybe it is John. Being twins, it is hard to tell which is which.

Wow! this film is up there with the likes of Two Way Strech and Wrong Arm Of The Law, its a crime caper, with a cast that is as funny as it seems to come up on the credits, you will not be disappointed. A well known cast carry out this film to perfection, not a very well known film, but why not. Its as good as any of them and one of the better films from 1965.If you can get your hands on a copy then do so, it might be the only chance you get to see it, i have a copy, brought it from ebay and its been recorded from Channle 4 so keep your eyes out! Wow, i'm sorry but this film is a LAF! go for it and you who all slag it off, have you even bothered to watch it? 10+

If You Don't Laugh at this One, You're...Rotten to the Core!That was what the University (UVa) movie marquee said in 1965.So I went in determined not to laugh. Within 5 minutes I was rolling in the aisle with laughter. Really the funniest movie I ever saw. A caper movie a la "Lavender Hill Mob". Everyone in this movie is crazy. I would like to get a copy of it. I rate it a 10."Bennie the Dip"