The Hot Touch

THE HOT TOUCH is a long forgotten - and forgettable - crime comedy, shot in Canada by the famed director Roger Vadim. The story is set in the world of art and art forgery, where various dodgy characters are striving to outwit each other in a battle to make money. The film has a lightness of touch to it, a non-serious approach that makes it feel rather weak and fluffy, with the humour somewhat forced. I admit to being more than a little bored as the story plays out as you never feel particularly involved or care about what's taking place. The best thing about it? The presence of some notable cast members, including Samantha Eggar, Patrick Macnee, and the beautiful Marie-France Pisier.

This one plays like an episode of White Collar meets Hustle set in the world of art forgery. The cast includes two alumni from the David Cronenberg Canadian back catalog in Allan Kolman (Shivers) and Samantha Eggar (The Brood). The plot isn't sophisticated and moves along at a reasonable. The Roger Vadim directed effort appears to have some print damage on the Amazon Prime screener, especially in the final third. I suspect the film suffered damage when some hack decided to censor Lloyd Bochner characters psychopathic behavior. The film features multiple shots featuring the now destroyed WTC in its use of New York City as a background location. The film is no great shakes but an ok way to waste 90 minutes