THE CARTIER AFFAIR

US, 1984, 120 minutes, Colour.
Joan Collins, David Hasselhof, Telly Savalas, Ed Lauter.
Directed by Rod Holcomb.

The Cartier Affair is a star vehicle for Joan Collins, capitalising on her popularity in Dynasty, and for David Hasselhoff, capitalising on his star presence in The Knight Rider.

The film portrays Hasselhoff as involved in petty crime, freed from prison and set up to rob a famous star. Hasselhoff performs this easy role with nonchalance and pleasant presence. (He is backed by Telly Savalas as the mastermind in jail and by Ed Lauter as the criminal on the outside.)

Hasselhoff poses as a homosexual secretary in order to gain entree into the star's household. The film then goes to the predictable - they fall in love, collaborate on the robbery, live happily and luxuriously ever after. Joan Collins acts herself, more or less, as the glamorous star - she is shown as performing in soap operas, living a highly social and upfront life, as a romantic heroine.

The kind of frothy entertainment produced for television, relying on audience love of soap opera situations, characters and mixed glamorous values.