And Edward Norton didn’t want to do this film?

CAST:
Mark Wahlberg Charlie Croker (the Leader)
Edward Norton Steve Frezelli (the wingman)
Charlize Theron Stella Bridger (the safecracker)
Donald Sutherland John Bridger (the mentor)
Seth Green Lyle “Napster” (the computer techie)
Jason Statham Handsome Rob (the getaway driver)
Mos Def Left Ear (demolitions and explosives)
Franky G Wrench (the mechanic)

Screenplay adapted by Donna and Wayne Powers (Deep Blue Sea, Valentine).
Original 1969 screenplay by Troy Kennedy-Martin
Directed by F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Negotiator, Set it Off, A Man Apart)

Reportedly, this was the film Edward Norton had to do in order to fulfill his option with Paramount after doing Primal Fear. As I’ve heard it from more than one source, Norton signed a multi-film option with Paramount when he did Primal Fear, but kept rejecting all the scripts they subsequently sent him, until they finally told him to do this film, or face a lawsuit. I don’t know how accurate this is, but after seeing it, I can’t imagine why it would be.

The movie is VERY entertaining.

This is a remake of the 1969 crime comedy caper starring Michael Caine, Benny Hill and Noel Coward. The story is now set in L.A. instead of Turin, Italy (though the first heist in the beginning takes place in Venice, there is only one later reference to this “Italian Job” later in the film, making the title less fitting), the Noel Coward character has been completely excised from the story, and while I read that the comedy would reportedly be de-emphasized in favor of action, I found it to be a nice balance of both action and humor, with some low-level tension, characters you grow to like, serviceable dialogue, a plot whose threads are nicely tied up at the end, and a good sense of characterization between Wahlberg and Norton.

John Bridger (Donald Sutherland) is a veteran safecracker out to perform one last heist before promising his daughter Stella (Charlize Theron), a safecracking expert who works legit for security companies, to go straight. His right hand man is Charlie Croker, the thinker who orchestrates the plan down to the last detail, with whom John shares a close affection that resembles a father/son dynamic. But while trying to steal $37 million from Venice, one of the gang betrays the entire team (if you really wanna who, view the trailer at the film’s official site, which in my opinion, shows just a bit too much), and takes all the gold. Croker decides to get even by stealing back the gold, not merely for the gold itself, but just to see the look on the traitor’s face.

How well you like this film will depend largely on how you feel about such heist movies. As in all action/heist movies, you have to suspend your disbelief, but it isn’t quite as wildly improbable as Ocean’s Eleven, which asked us to believe that three different casinos stored all their money in one vault that be successfully raided by a team of 12 people. Here, it’s essentially the team against one of their own, which is a scale that is easier to swallow, and it’s largely to get revenge for their mentor, something we can empathize with.

I don’t know why Edward Norton might not have wanted to do this film. Maybe it’s because it didn’t look good on paper. Maybe because it was too similar to Heist, and he didn’t want to repeat himself. Maybe he didn’t like the character he had to play. All I know is, the finished product, while not very deep or terribly original in its genre, is a fun diversion that I actually want to see again.

TRAILER SPOILER WARNING:
I recommend that you don’t watch the trailer if you can help it. In addition to the identity of the traitor (which is early in the film, and in my opinion, a basic part of the premise that you know at the outset), the trailer shows a crucial shot during the final heist at the end of the film that I think would’ve been better left a surprise, and even worse, the scene in which the traitor is confronted by the gang is the movie’s signature character scene, and has the best dialogue, and while it was still all good, I sense I would’ve liked it more if I hadn’t seen the trailer first and it were a surprise..

NITS & NOTES:
In stealing the Venetian gold in the beginning of the film, one of the gang asks Lyle what he’s going to get with his share, and Lyle says, “I’m gonna get a NAN-T 77 with 70 watt amps and burn brown B.A.C.’s.” When the others stare at him inscrutably, he says it a stereo with big speakers. In casing the L.A. home of the traitor later on, Lyle notices that the traitor went out and bought that exact stereo system. Um, he actually was able to remember that exact archaic specification that Lyle recited one time?

Okay, so NONE of the pedestrians got hit when the three BMW minicoopers turned onto the sidewalk and headed for the subway entrance? And there was NO ONE on the staircase when they sped down the stairs?

When jumping the mini coopers onto the subway tracks, I noticed that a couple in one of the train cars could see Stella. I don’t know if they got a good look at her or not, but it occurred to me that the crew should’ve gotten tinted windows for the mini coopers.

Okay, so who was that guy on the motorcycle chasing the three mini coopers during the chase in the subway and sewer tunnels? I didn’t catch this. Was it one of the hired police escorts for the armored car?

After Jason Statham’s awesome martial arts scenes in The Transporter (in which he also played a getaway driver), I really was hoping to see some use of his abilities put to use here. Alas, they were not.

Was that by any chance the real Sean Fanning in Lyle’s flashback to 1999? It looked a lot like him.

During the Venice heist in the beginning of the movie, Left Ear points out to Handsome Rob a passage from a book he’s reading, How to Think like Leonardo Da Vinci by Michael J. Gelb, and recites it: “Learn the language of poetry, art, romance, sex.” I have that book. That passage doesn’t appear anywhere in it.

One of the worst trailers I've seen in a while. Not because of the plot, characters, or acting, but just in how they made it. It seems perversely designed to spoil plot points, give away big lines, and basically allow a savvy viewer to write the whole film in their mind.

Luigi, I think Ed didn't want to do the film probably because of the part. From the trailer, he looks to have a thankless one. Do you concur or is it just misleading?

Actually the reason he didn't want to do the film is because of what he was getting paid. When he did Primal Fear his contract stipulated that he do another movie for paramount at the same rate of pay (remember this was before he was anyone in Hollywood) Since than every script the studio put infront of him he said no. Finally it went to court and he had to make this one.

This article describes how Norton ended up doing this film, and the amount he would get paid was not the point of contention that the article emphasizes, Brian. It’s a pretty good read.

In my opinion, Mike, the part didn’t really seem appropriate or meaty for an actor of Norton’s caliber or talent. I was very entertained by the film itself, but having now had some time to look back at what I saw with a bit more distance, Norton’s part was a very superficial one that lacked much depth, and Norton looked like he could’ve phoned in the part. Then again, I’m glad it was a far better film than The Core, so thank God he didn’t take that one when it was offered to him.

And yeah, Mike, the amount of signature material they put in the trailer annoys the hell out of me. I wonder how much more I might’ve liked it if I hadn’t seen it before I saw the movie. Even the choice of music for the two TV commercials is odd. One has the music from The Transporter, which is cool, but the other has that “groovy”-sounding 80’s song that I can’t name.

Oh, and I've been told that that WAS Sean Fanning. Having researched photos of him to compare to my memory of what he looked like in the film, I would be inclined to believe it.

NIT: Lu, the bank robbery movie that Ed Norton did was called The Score. Heist was a David Mamet film starring Gene Hackman and Danny DeVito.

Yeah, I was told that by someone else. Thanks.

And I would appreciate it if you would refer to me by my actual name, thanks.

What you no like the nickname? I don't get into a tizzy whenever someone calls me Bri or B or Webb.

I meant to add a to that so you would know I was joking. Oopsie!

I feel that each person's individual feelings about nicknames should be respected. Admittedly, I might use the diminuitive "Bri" without even realizing it, but if someone tells me they don't like that, I won't use it.

Fair enough Gi.

>>>Oh, and I've been told that that WAS Sean Fanning. Having researched photos of him to compare to my memory of what he
looked like in the film, I would be inclined to believe it. >>>>

You know, watching the credits sequence--that vertically-scrolling white type over black that appears at the end of most films--can be very revelatory, if you have the time. It was Sean Fanning--says so right in the credits.

D Mann: You know, watching the credits sequence--that vertically-scrolling white type over black that appears at the end of most films--
Luigi Novi: Yeah, thanks, I got you when you said "credis sequence." I usually try to leave movies early when there's a packed auditorium so that I can beat the crowd rushing out.

I believe it's actually Shawn. And couldn't you just look that up on imdb?

Scene I would have loved to see: After the Ukranians show up to teach Steve a lesson, he says "He was dead when I got there." I would have loved to see one of the Ukranians take out a videotape and say "That's not what THIS says." (Because the VCR was empty the first time Steve met with the guy he killed.)

I got the original film at KMart today on sale for $6.00. They've got others for that price and $4.00, too, this week.

This is a great movie, but there were a few things that caught my attention.

This explosive that was "painted" on two ceilings, does that even exist? It's not an impossible concept but I've never heard of it.

When Handsome Rob drove the van into the frozen lake, they all would've frozen to death in four or five minutes. I would think that Steve would've waited at least that long. Also, did Steve really think he could actually do some serious damage firing that AK into the water?

If there's one thing you can count on in movies is that greed infectious. Why wouldn't these guys who help Steve througout the movie just kill him and take the gold themselves.

When the Minis flew out of the sewer tunnel, the first one, the blue one with Charle I think, had its rear end fly up in the air and the front go downward. Does this seem right with all that gold in the back? Luigi, yes those motorcycle guys were protecting the other armored trucks and the first was blocked by the train. Why he didn't turn around and find another way I don't know.

Charlize Theron is hot!

This "crew" obviously isn't unitelligent, but neither are the police to this degree. At the very least Seth Green's character would've been arrested for hacking into the system that controls the traffic lights and metro. He certainly could afford a good lawyer and not be convicted due to the purely circumstancial evidence but calling himself "The real Napster" while in that system, being roommates with Sean, and getting on the cover of Wired would certainly connect some dots. Also, taxes may play an important role here. Does this crew all have jobs, other than being professional theives?

Taxes may be the answer. Charlie's best weapon was that he was not greedy, he seemed to have no problem sharing the wealth in order to bribe the right folks. perhaps generous contributions to the law enforcement agency, good lawyers and over paying on taxes all had a factor in each of them getting off Scot free in the end.

As for the flashback to the Napster's origins, We see Lyle sleeping as Sean mischievously swipes a floppy out of his computer and makes off with the program. Are we really to believe that the entire Napster program could fit on a 1.44 meg floppy disc? for that matter why didn't Lyle have a copy on his Hard drive? It would have been mind bogglingly slow to work directly off of a floppy disc. the prop guys really should have used a different medium, such as a zip disc or a CD, both technologies were widely used in 99.