The Italian Job (1969)
Directed by Peter Collinson
Written by Troy Kennedy-Martin

Though later remade as a slick, twisty Hollywood heist movie, the original Italian Job has much more in common with Herbie Goes Bananas than Sexy Beast. It's a very British comedy with a such a dry sense of humor that it takes awhile before you're sure that it's not just bad.

Michael Caine, recently sprung from prison, assembles a team of madcap criminals to pull off a tightly orchestrated armored car robbery in the middle of a traffic jam in Turin, contending along the way with cops, mafia guys, and Benny Hill's relentless pursuit of chubby young ladies.

Through countless complications, no one loses their confidence, especially Caine, operating here in full swingin' shagdadelic mode, back when that was current instead of kitschy. His team, comprised mostly of Brit comedians of the day, is as large and difficult to follow as '98-era Wu Tang Clan … exactly how many people were involved, and what their specialties were, I can't begin to tell you.

It's all beside the point, anyway. The movie exists solely for its climax, wherein three Mini Coopers (red, white, and blue) give chase through the town in increasingly ridiculous ways. It's quite entertaining to watch, but after awhile it just becomes a gigantic car ad.

Quincy Jones provided the incredibly brilliant and sophisticated yet almost impossibly square score; Noel Coward is hilarious as the wealthy aristocrat who funds the operation from behind bars.

How this is marketed as a neglected old thriller is beyond me. They might as well reissue Corvette Summer like it was an influence on 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Review by Farting Dracula