Some films are so effortlessly entertaining that they exist outside of time and can be appreciated and enjoyed by audiences from every time period. Sacha Guitry's The Story of a Cheat is one of these films. It details the extraordinary picaresque life of a professional gambler who seemed destined to cheat when an act of petty theft saved his life from a terrible fate that claimed the lives of eleven of his family members. The film chronicles how he sneaks, lies, charms, and cheats his way through life. The entire film follows the whimsical narration of the main character as he sits in a cafe and writes his autobiography. He indulges the film with fantastic tangents that fill it with incredible energy and charm. He speaks as one who believes that his entire life has been predestined by fate yet has decided to try and deny it at every turn. While watching it, I couldn't stop thinking about Louis Manzzini from Kind Hearts and Coronets and wonder what would happen if the two ever met up. But while Louis cheated and killed his way through Europe in response to his feelings of personal injustice, the Cheat seems to flow with the stream of current events, snagging opportunities as they come and never looking back. We can't help but admire this dashing rogue and his fascinating exploits. Perhaps that is the film's true power...it makes us all want to cheat a little on the inside.
9/10
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