cult film freak: ERIC IDLE AND ROBBIE COLTRANE BECOME 'NUNS ON THE RUN'

Year: 1990 Producer: George Harrison Rating: ***1/2

The late dark horse Beatles guitarist George Harrison’s Handmade Films produced a mixed bag of projects: The established cult favorites include MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN and LIVE AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL; Terry Gilliam's dwarf adventure fantasy TIME BANDITS and the underrated Jodie Foster 1950's melodrama FIVE CORNERS while the bad includes the truly horrible/critically demolished SHANGHAI SURPRISE starring Harrison's at-that-time client celebrity couple, Sean Penn and Madonna...

On the more obscure end there's a forgotten lot including Michael Palin comedies A PRIVATE FUNCTION and THE MISSIONARY...

And with that list intact, sticking with another Python vet while providing George's tropically-blues solo career ballad Blow Away, NUNS ON THE RUN stars Eric Idle and rotund comic actor Robbie Coltrane, residing somewhere in-between the musician/producer's eclectic cinematic patchwork. Especially thanks to the extremely cute Camille Coduri, who isn't your waify ingenue like most American actresses; she has a great smile, voluptuous curves and big sad pouting eyes, melting Eric Idle’s Brian Hope within moments of meeting at the diner where she’s employed…

Camille Corduri in Nuns on the Run

And that’s saying something since Brian has a lot on his mind, including being constantly lectured by stout buddy/partner Robbie Coltrane as Charlie McManus. Both Charlie and Brian are workaday bank robbers who, after a double-cross plan that Faith overhears, wind up with a cliché briefcase of stolen cash...

And through creative dutch angles, are sought after by a gang of mobsters that are genuinely serious and lethal throughout the comedy hijinx (pre-Tarantino no less) as the boys hide out and pose as… you guessed it… NUNS!

The ON THE RUN part doesn’t entirely fit the storyline since there isn’t far to go, and the entire film takes place in locations along one particular England street: A nice mellow atmosphere that relies on keeping up a suspenseful scam...

The draped duo have to keep the other residents, including a bevy of young hot students, into thinking they’re visiting nuns…

Which is all a WE'RE NO ANGELS inspired prolonged ruse often stretched beyond limit. And they wind up having to trick Camille, as Faith; although without her glasses she can’t see a lick, providing leeway for the boys: The only Monty Python style joke is a reoccurring argument about The Holy Trinity, allowing Idle to take part in clever diatribes concerning the baseline of a religion he just doesn’t get. But of the two, Robbie Coltrane really stands out, keeping his expository faith intact while lusting after the student/girls who look up to him… or rather, her. And the resulting action sequences aren’t too shabby either: Camille becomes the most important cog in a decent comedy vehicle that’s an even better ride the second and third time.