The Italian Job

There are no computer generated visual effects. Thats the special thing about this film. And the actors do all their own work, although some of the work is dangerous. What this brings to the screen is a kind of action purity, a reality that allows you to be there and share the adventure with them vicariously, in a way that you cant with computer generation. This was largely due to the vision of Gary Gray, the director. The DVD Special Features section contains a lot of interesting information about this, but watch the film first.

Another unique thing about this film is the introduction of the Mini-Cooper as a significant character in the plot. The car shares the spotlight with the other five team members, the leader, a demolitions expert, a computer whiz, a safe cracker and a driver.

This is an old fashioned, Mission Impossible kind of story, but its much better than the Tom Cruise attempt. This current screenplay was modeled on Michael Caines The Italian Job (1969), although the story line is very different, and so is the venue, mostly taking place in Los Angeles.

Thieves robbing thieves is as old as Robin Hood, and we still tend to suspend judgment in favor of our perception of justice. Ill let you tackle the ethical conundrum that requires drawing a distinction between good and bad thieves. I just had a good time watching this exciting film with its tension, twists and surprises.

Gary Gray deserves a lot of credit for the quality of this film, only his fifth time as a director. He also did The Negotiator (1998) with Samuel Jackson and Kevin Spacey.

Mark Wahlberg plays Charlie, the team leader. His acting has improved since his lead in The Truth About Charlie (2002), which I reviewed, April 9, 2003. He is Mr. Casual in this film, but thats what the role calls for.

Charlize Theron plays Stella, the safe cracker. An only child, farm girl, she studied ballet where she was born in South Africa and then traveled to joined the Joeffrey in New York. An injury and her mother redirected her career to films where she has been in The Cider House Rules (1999), Men of Honor (2000) and Trapped (2002) among others.

Jason Stratham plays Handsome Rob, the driver. Born in the UK, this is his tenth film role.

Seth Green plays Lyle (Napster), the computer geek. He has been in more than 50 TV and film roles since 1984. These include several Austin Powers films but I have only seen him in Enemy of the State (1998).

Mos Def plays Left Ear, the explosives expert. He has an early funny scene that shows us how he became deaf in one ear. Def is a talented Hip-Hop artist in New York. I have seen him in Monsters Ball (2001).

Edward Norton plays Steve, the absolutely despicable bad guy. Norton graduated from Yale and later started his career on the stage. His film career began with Primal Fear (1996). He had a key role in Fight Club (2000) and he directed and starred in Keeping the Faith (2001).

Things to watch for: (1) probably the only time youll ever see a chase scene on Venice canals, (2) the worst deliberate Hollywood Boulevard traffic jam and (3) a mock-up so large it had to be built in a space shuttle hanger.

Reviewed October 13, 2003