| The original Italian Job, the 1969 Britflick with Michael Caine and Noel Coward isn't perfect. But it has stood the test of time, and still retains a lot of popularity. It does rely a lot on a great final act, the mini chase, Self-Preservation Society etc. Much of the rest of the movie does coast along on Michael Caine's charisma, but he is very charismatic, and the quirky, funny scenes as they prepare for the titular Italian Job make the film great. It's a shame, then, that the 2003 remake is such an unoriginal and forgettable movie, when the source material is so unique. And casting charismaless Mark Wahlberg in Caine's Charlie Croker role is a travesty. He is one of the worst culprits of the current glut leading men that are good-looking and manage to get plenty of work despite having not one iota of star quality or screen presence. The storyline is wisely a total departure from the '69 version, a gang of thieves do a brief job in Venice (not Turin), then are double-crossed and left for dead. Back in the USA they avenge John Bridger (Donald Sutherland)'s murder by attempting to steal the gold back from Steve (Edward Norton). There's something odd about a bad guy constantly referred to as Steve, it's more cinematic to refer to them by surname. Edward Norton's great acting talent is wasted here as the two-dimensional angry Steve. Norton was apparently coerced into appearing because of a contract with the studio. He's hardly in it, and has no motive for his evil crimes, his one character trait being that he has no imagination. Croker's gang include Lyle (Buffy's Seth Green), Handsome Rob (Jason Statham, thankfully not sporting the appalling American accent from The One), Bridger's daughter Stella (Charlize Theron). Unfortunately the result is a formulaic rehash, inferior to similar fair of recent years like The Score, Heist, Ocean's Eleven and other such ensemble heist movies. You spend virtually the whole movie watching Wahlberg mumble his bland way through, just waiting for the bit with the Minis, assuming that the makers will have gone to some lengths to top the Caine mini sequence, only for that to fall flat, by only really having them go through a sewer pipe then swerve through traffic. Disappointing and forgettable. 4/10 |
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| THE ITALIAN JOB |