An agreeable romp and a nifty heist flick

Rating: 9/10 (30 May 2003)

THE ITALIAN JOB is a good entertainment. You won't learn any deep truths about the human condition, you won't really see any oscar winning performances, but you will be entertained. Which really is what most movies should try to do.
Okay, I've never seen the original Michael Caine ITALIAN JOB (I keep missing it on BBCAmerica), so I cannot compare the two. What I can compare it to are recent heist flicks, like CONFIDENCE, THE HEIST, THE SCORE, the OCEANS ELEVEN remake, and (as my Dad pointed out) THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR. It compares quite favorably. You know the gang is going to get screwed by a confederate (thanks to the trailer, grrrr!) and that they are going to get their revenge. The fun is watching how the intricate plot they plan is going to be carried out. And the greater fun is watching how, when the first plan falls through, they improvise the second plan.
I am especially impressed that the film is a true heist flick, like THE SCORE and THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, rather than a shoot-em-up like THE HEIST. When John Bridger (Donald Sutherland) says "We pulled it off without drawing a single gun", he sets the ground rules for the gang's later revenge plan. Any dumb crook can shoot people; it takes brains to pull off a nonviolent heist.
One interesting little cameo-by-proxy. Watch closely when Steve Frezelli (Ed Norton) turns on his giant TV. The image on the screen is a closeup of Michael Caine (I'm assuming from the original ITALIAN JOB).