Quick Review: The Italian Job (1969)
Mar. 28th, 2011 06:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalSummary: Recently paroled ex-con Charlie Croker (Micheal Caine) immediately falls off the wagon and starts planning a job to steal the Italian Army's pay with a daring heist in Turin, Italy, with the backing of the patriotic criminal mastermind Mr. Bridger (Noel Coward!).
Review: This film isn't either the laugh riot or the daring intricate plot I had been led to expect from hearing about it from other sources. Caine's humor, what there is of it, is lost under the veneer of his thugish persona and even the famous "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" line isn't that great. I think most of its fame mostly comes from being a nice bit of rahrah British patriotism (even if they are patriotic crooks ) at a time when Great Britain was coming to grips with its loss of Great Power status.
On the plus side, the bits with the Minis zipping around a traffic congested Turin are marvelously shot, and the final song, Self-Protection Society , is suitably rabble rousing.
Review: This film isn't either the laugh riot or the daring intricate plot I had been led to expect from hearing about it from other sources. Caine's humor, what there is of it, is lost under the veneer of his thugish persona and even the famous "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" line isn't that great. I think most of its fame mostly comes from being a nice bit of rahrah British patriotism (even if they are patriotic crooks ) at a time when Great Britain was coming to grips with its loss of Great Power status.
On the plus side, the bits with the Minis zipping around a traffic congested Turin are marvelously shot, and the final song, Self-Protection Society , is suitably rabble rousing.
