Movie Moment: The Italian Job
(I actually saw this last Saturday at a sneak. Of course my lazy ass would only get around to posting this on the day it actually comes out.)
Look at a poster for The Italian Job and it seems to have a lot going for it. Specifically: attractive guys (including that new guy with the huge arms whom Confidence put on my radar screen), good actors (Sutherland and Norton), plus a serviceable plot (gotta love heist pictures.)
Yet there are potential minuses as well: Charlize Theron is an annoying wench who should be forever shunned for Reindeer Games (umm, not that I saw it) and her sometimes similarity to fellow sucksmith Ashley Judd. And would the movie suffer from a desperate desire to be Ocean’s Six?
Turns out it’s fine. While it’s certainly not art, it flows comfortably and is fun to watch. Some of the gags run too long (a cameo in Seth Green’s backstory is great, but then they milk it dry) and somehow Wahlberg managed to convince them to let him keep his shirt on, but by and large it’s a good guy movie. Even Theron isn’t annoying.
Oh, and the sneak started as ushers walked slowly up and down the aisles (then stood at the front for a brief time) on the lookout for camcorders. For those who didn’t get the hint, a big disclaimer also appeared: Warner Bros. reminds you that filming the movie off the screen is illegal.
The interesting part: Job was a Paramount release.