Mario Monicelli-I Soliti ignoti (1958)

An all-star cast (Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori, Claudia Cardinale, Marcello Mastroianni, Totò) and jazzy score highlight this charming comedy, a deft satire of classic caper films like Rififi. Big Deal on Madonna Street hilariously details the plight of a sad-sack group of bumbling thieves and their desperate attempts to pull off the perfect heist.



Peppe, formerly a boxer, organizes the break-in of a pawnshop. Tiberio, an unemployed photographer, Mario, a receiver, the Sicilian Michele and Capannelle, an ex-jockey, are the other members of the gang. Though they are advised by Dante, a retired burglar, the task is not so easy… (http://imdb.com/title/tt0052216/plotsummary)



This movie is a classic comedy burglar caper (Woody Allen's "Small Time Crooks" was clearly inspired by this film). A collection of small time hoods gather to rob a pawn shop. Along the way, everything that could go wrong does in pretty hilarious fashion. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0052216/usercomments)



The original Italian title is "I Soliti Ignoti" which roughly translates to "The usual unidentified thieves" Mario Monicelli has made a great film here. In this film, A band of inept and clumsy thieves attempt to break into a safe. Instead, they manage to drill through the wrong wall, and create various acts of mayhem. The film has many scenes in it which are very funny. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0052216/usercomments)



The photography evokes a time when Italy was just beginning to rise from the chaos of WWII and it offers a wonderful emotional change from the neo-realism of many of the era's classic films. It's the best slapstick, tried and true but presented with style and timing before the shticks became clichés……when Cosimo attempts to rob a jewelry pawn shop and points his gun at the owner asking him if he knows what he has in his hand, the proprietor insouciantly takes the gun from his hand and says "A Beretta in poor condition" and offers him 1000 Lire for it. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0052216/usercomments)



Wonderful charachters, fantastic plot (from "Ne touchez pas le Grisbi"), stupendous soundtrack, amazing screenplay, perfect photography. And funny, funny, funny, but realistic in the Italy of post war poorness. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0052216/usercomments)










Links to previous movie posts:

From 1# to 200# please refer to page :
200 Donat...ky in Nostalghia (1984)

201 Kenji... Life of Oharu') (1952)
202 Tsai ...e Is It There?') (2001)
203 Jean-Luc Godard - Bande à part (1964)
204 Mario Monicelli-I Soliti ignoti (1958)