As the Mini Coopers rock from side to side along a sewage tunnel, with £4 million in gold bullion in their boots and Quincy Jones's infectious score swinging away in the background, ask yourself this: is there a film - certainly a British film - that delivers a greater infusion of pure joy than The Italian Job?
As a comic heist film, The Italian Job is diverting, though slight. As a feature-length advertisement for the MINI Cooper, however, it's an unqualified triumph.
Could definitely be anchor bias on my part, but I think I prefer the F. Gary Gray version to this classic from 1969. That isn't to say I loathed watching this or anything like that. In fact, I think the final chase scene in this ultimately outshines anything I can remember from the remake. For me, though, it was the revenge element of the 2003 film that ultimately won me over to the side of the crooks in question. Here, you're given the more matter-of-fact approach — almost something you'd see out of a Bond sequel or something. The thief is working the eponymous heist because he's a thief, of course. It's what he does and he doesn't really need any better reason than that. I can totally see the appeal of it (especially for the era in question), but I know I'm far too overanalytically inclined to be satisfied with that reason and that alone. Throw in some occasionally dopey humor and that's most of why I think I'm where I'm at in relation to which version I like more. Still, I can't say the overall watch was bad for either.
The cast does its stuff to good effect. Coward, as the highly patriotic, business-like master crook, brings all his imperturbable sense of irony and comedy to his role.