Review of Topkapi (1964) by Robby R — 25 Aug 2011
As a big fan of Jules Dassin's other heist movie, Rififi, I was interested to see how this spoof of the genre would play out. Unfortunately, I discovered that while Dassin is indeed the master of suspense when it comes to heist films, with a knack for squeezing every drip of sweat from your brow as you grimace through his tension fueled jewel theft executions, and indeed he has a keen knack for comedy also, it was a pity the two genres just didn't mix that well together.
Not to say they can't as movies such as The Pink Panther have proved, but some of the elements just jarred against each other too much. It didn't help that the psychedelia infused haze of kaleidoscopic images which litter the opening sequences seemed novelty and a little silly, but when it does settle down into it's plot the film forms small segments of fantastic ideas.
One moment it's a brilliant farce, the next a nerve wrecking suspense, but when putting them all together, while for the most part entertaining, it just didn't seem to work for me. However, Peter Ustinov is always entertaining to watch as the bumbling conman who stumbles upon a team of thieves and ends up working for them, and with such a comedic talent it is hard not to enjoy his fumbling efforts.
Just a shame that despite his efforts the movie wasn't cohesive enough.
This review of Topkapi (1964) was written by Robby R on 25 Aug 2011.
Topkapi has generally received positive reviews.
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