The Italian Job (1969/2003)
THE ITALIAN JOB (PG)
D: Peter Collinson
Paramount/Oakhurst (Michael Deeley)
UK 1969
100 mins
Crime/Comedy
W: Troy Kennedy Martin
DP: Douglas Slocombe & Norman Warwick
Ed: John Trumper
Mus: Quincy Jones
Michael Caine (Charlie Croker), Noel Coward (Mr. Bridger),
Benny Hill (Prof. Simon Peach), Raf Vallone (Altabini), Rosanno Brazzi (Roger Beckerman)
A
British classic of crime, comedy and adventure, adored on it's homeland but no so much elsewhere on the globe.
Cheeky Cockney chappie Michael Caine plays ex-con Charlie
Croker who masterminds the theft of gold bullion by staging a traffic jam in Turin and using Mini Coopers for a quick getaway.
The comedy in the build up verges into rather needless
slapstick on occasion, but there's also some hilariously iconic moments, the climactic car chase is a stunt riddled extravaganza and enormous fun, complete with an Ealing comedy style
ending.
A
patriotically English crime caper.
8/10
THE ITALIAN JOB (12)
D: F. Gary Gray
Paramount (Donald DeLine)
US 2003
110 mins
Action/Crime
W: Donna Powers & Wayne Powers [based on the 1969
screenplay by Troy Kennedy Martin]
DP: Wally Pfister
Ed: Richard Francis-Bruce & Christopher
Rouse
Mus: John Powell
Mark Wahlberg (Charlie Croker), Charlize Theron (Stella
Bridger), Edward Norton (Steve Frazelli), Donald Sutherland (John Bridger), Jason Statham (Handsome Rob), Seth Green (Lyle), Mos Def (Left Ear)
The Italian Job is a 1969 crime caper and a British classic.
This is not The Italian Job.
The film may start in Italy but it doesn't take long to
relocate to the United States and start ticking off all the usual cliches and going all Ocean's Eleven with the plot.
Of course, a revenge subplot has to be wedged in, otherwise
why else would we want to root for the thieves at the heart of the story?
The only connection this has to the original film is two
characters carrying the same name as 1969 counterparts and a trio of Mini's are still used in the final chase. There's also a wink & a nudge reference but it's more of an embarrassment than a
homage.
4/10
