A British soldier goes mad in the Middle East, in pursuit of his passion. Lest one think it's "Lawrence of Arabia" (same lead,however), it's "The Seventh Coin",a wonderfully cheesy movie about the pursuit for the seventh coin of King Herod. Peter O'Toole stars as Emile Saber,a retired British soldier obsessed with Herodian coins. No self-respecting Englishman would name his son Emile... because it's French. O'Toole is exceptionally hammy, though he seems to be Madame Tussaud's waxen Celtic boyfriend. Then, there are the teenagers. There's the haplessly named Ronnie (Alexandra Powers),who's touring Jerusalem, and Salim (Navin Choudhury),a Palestinian pickpocket. They happen upon the ill-fated coin, but they don't realize why the Bad Guys are pursuing them until an hour into the movie. At that point, as well, they realize they're in love. There are numerous chase scenes- down the streets of Old Jerusalem, through a market as Emile chases them on a chariot (hilarious) and in a bathhouse (there's brief homoeroticism when they stumble upon the men's baths) O'Toole hams it up, even when he's asking for beef. At the same time, there's the overwhelmed Capt. Ghalil (John Rhys-Davies,a Welsh actor in a pre-Gimli Middle Eastern role) whose American niece wants to be legit. It's a side plot that kind of happens. Rhys-Davies is doing a re-tread of his Indiana Jones role, but he's having fun. He's a Tevye in a police uniform. In the end, good triumphs (despite being stupid enough to run along rooftops so O'Toole can fire at them) The conclusion is bittersweet. The teenagers lose each other; there isn't a sappy reunion on the Sea of Galilee. "The Seventh Coin" is wonderfully cheesy fun. A penny for your thoughts indeed; good, cheap amusement.
Adventure Film for the Whole Family!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
An adventure film with action, suspense and romance! This film was shot on location in Jerusalem. While the teenage heroes are being pursued by evil the O'Toole for the 7th coin, the movie takes the viewer around the streets of Jerusalem, obscure alleyways, tunnels, rooftops, bathhouses,and marketplaces.
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