Kat's Film Reviews: The Italian Job

Friday, December 12, 2003

The Italian Job

As heist flicks go, this one's got all the usual elements. No huge surprises -- a tech guy, an explosives guy, the master planner guy and the token girl, who just happens to know how to open a safe. I think I liked it better than most because the lead actors are strong and gutsy, and yet you can sympathize with them because they bring a fragility to their acting. Mark Wahlberg is probably the only actor in his generation that combines equal amounts of tenderness and toughness, and I just like Charlize Theron...well...for the same reasons. Apparently, this is a remake (re-thinking, actually) of a 1969 film of the same name, which I've not seen. I'm sometimes hesitant to watch older action/heist/thriller films because I know that I'm a product of my generation. If it's a blow-things-up film, then I'd like to see that done believably. Let's face it: the technology is better now. Of course, having said that I should watch the original and see for myself. They both have the cool little mini-Coopers in them. Although, watching Theron driving one really fast makes me clutch the edges of my seat cushions. Showing my age, I think. If you like these types of films, this one doesn't have anywhere the impact of Heat but it easily tops The Score. When you rent the DVD, watch the first deleted scene. I can see why they left it out (actually they left a lot of the comedy bits out), but it's well worth giggling over.

year: 2003
length: 111 min.
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317740/combined

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