Review of The Italian Job (1969) by Velmina C — 06 Jan 2013

The Italian Job is an odd film. It differs from the common heist film, but nor is it a comedy with the action element standing strong. An example of the strangeness is the filmâ(TM)s opening, when a man is driving a shiny orange Lamborghini Miura through the roads in the Alps when, and hereâ(TM)s the rather odd bit, while driving through a tunnel his car explodes in a ball of flames. What the hell?

On the other hand you shortly discover that the man was in fact thief Roger Beckermann, a man who drew the Italian mafiaâ(TM)s attention whilst planning a job to rob a payroll of Turin-based automaker Fiat, and spirit it out of Italy. A job that, inevitably, Charlie Choker (Michael Caine) must carry out, with the help of some getaway Minis, of course.

Once the explosion goes off, you gear up for a ride into the action heist abyss but alas the film sort of slows down and then simply chugs on for an hour or so and, well it does kind of get a bit boring.

Nothing is quite as sweet and satisfactory as something in a film working and the viewer making sense of it. This happens in The Italian Job as you find yourself rather pleased when the heist pieces itself together and is pulled off the finest fashion. Donâ(TM)t even get me started on the rather epic car chase that follows the robbery, takes place in the streets of Turin and consists of driving up scaffolding and onto the roof of a cool building and jumping from roof to roof. Cool!

Once youâ(TM)ve made sense of everything, and laughed at quite a few things, you find yourself enjoying the climax and even more so the amusing ending, a literal cliff-hanger. Which means, all in all, The Italian Job is a good film.