The Italian Job

Michael Caine must love a good heist. He's certainly done many heist movies, mostly in the 1960s and 70s. He's still doing them, in such films as Flawless and even in a way, Inception.  It is easy to see why The Italian Job was remade. The story is nearly not even about what he is stealing (I think in moviespeak it would be considered a Macguffin), but really about the heist and equally so the subsequent excellent car chase/escape. It even includes a great cliffhanging ending (literally).

Caine plays a con, Charlie, just released from prison. An old associate has just been killed and leaves him the plans for a big score, $4 million in gold in Turin, Italy. Charlie can't resist this heist, but needs help, so he asks for backing from Mr. Bridger (Noel Coward), a mobster who is conducting business as usual from prison.


Charlie assembles his team, including a computer expert (Benny Hill), some expert drivers, and a great supporting cast of Fiats and Minis.  The heist involves snarling traffic on the day the gold is to be delivered, hijacking the truck and getting away in the three Minis and then under cover of a tour bus attending an international soccer match. Other than the police, an expected wrench in their plans could be the Italian mafia who believe Charlie is moving in on their turf.

There are many comic elements and characters although "the girl" was really unnecessary.  I can see how later films such as the Bourne trilogy or the newer Oceans Eleven films seem to have stolen or paid homage in some way to this film's action sequences.  The amazing driving choreography was well planned through public roads and historic buildings.  The getaway sequence in particular with the Minis is expertly planned and executed in the film, because the film's producers hired the most well known French driving stunt team.  I recommend seeing this also on the DVD as it includes an extra feature, a deleted scene involving the Minis and three police cars doing a dance of sorts to the music of the Blue Danube, which was cut due to its tone not fitting the more realistic tone of the film. The cars become real characters, smart and even funny, in how the dance and escape is played out. This also goes for the cars in the rest of the film.

So back to the human actors. Noel Coward and Benny Hill both give good comedic performances; the supporting cast all had a line here and there which gave each of them a bit of camera time (Caine's brother Stanley also had a small role). A typical heist character for Caine, enjoyable!