To the Ghost of Mario Monicelli, Come sta andando? I really enjoyed Big Deal in Madonna Street. So many filmmakers have stolen your ethos right from Woody Allen to George Clooney and the Coens to some really awful Indian filmmakers. You had me right from the title sequence with the too thieves walking in the shadows towards the car. There were some really interesting camera angles and directorial flourishes (like the way the camera moved when the kids are playing the stick game) throughout the whole film. It also had an interesting structure with you introducing the two apparent protagonists at the beginning but soon both of them slip into the background. Your film was like a slightly slap-sticky and hilarious rendering of Italian neo-realism. The bumbling and imbecilic working class characters not only evoked sympathy and adoration, but also a sense of desolation. This was foregrounded in the final scene when the old man is left all alone in the street after Vittorio Gasman's character is pulled in (seemingly not by accident?) with the other workers.Best Regards, Pimpin. (9/10)

A group of bumblers decide to rob a pawn shop in the classic "Big Deal on Madonna Street," a 1958 Italian film starring Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori, Memmo Carotenuto, and Rosanna Rory.One of the reviewers here said he liked it but he never laughed out loud. I did. Several times.A group of low-level crooks decide to rob this pawn shop of jewels, but one of them is sent to prison. Since he's the mastermind, they have to get him out, so they go around trying to find someone who, for 100,000 lire (which was something like $67.00 in 1958) will take his place in prison. Peppe (Gassman), a fighter with a glass jaw, agrees to go once he's ko'd two seconds after getting into the ring. The only problem is, the other guy not only doesn't get out, but Peppe is released before he is.It goes from there, one disaster after another. The plan is to break into the pawn shop through the empty apartment next door, except that one day they notice it's now occupied by two matrons. They leave on Thursday to oversee their vineyards, but the maid stays behind. Answer: Get to know the maid. More complications.The break-in scene is one of the funniest things ever on film, and that's all I'll say.This reminded me of "Small Time Crooks" a little - I'm sure Woody Allen took some inspiration from it.Can't wait to see "Big Deal on Madonna Street - 20 Years Later." Highly recommended. Wonderful acting, wonderful direction by Mario Monicelli, and great photography. The antithesis of "Ocean's Eleven."

I had seen "I Soliti Ignoti" a long time ago and I can't say that I remembered it well. But thanks the the Criterion Collection I came across it on DVD and have to say that it's one of the funniest films that I have ever seen.A bunch of amateurish bunglers believing themselves to be capable thieves attempt a break-in of hilarious proportions. Gassman shines as Peppe the improvised leader of the pack, as these "Usual Suspects" move from one mishap to another.Miss. Cardinale adds some real eye candy, as usual.SEE IT!!!!!!!

I suspect that it's hard to find this gem for rental purposes, which is a shame. A take-off on the classic French film noir, Rififi, it stands up wonderfully and deserves greater recognition. Monicelli is too little known as a director in the US, I think. Louis Malle attempted a remake of this some years back, to disastrous effect, and now there's a new attempt out, called "Welcome to Collinswood"; my hunch is that, while it might be better than the Malle version, it won't match the original. A group of bumbling small-time thieves plan and try to execute a heist, but nothing goes right. As the gang's leader, a punchy boxer with more attitude than ability, Vittorio Gassmann is wonderful, as is everyone else in the cast. Special notice should be given to the marvelous character comedian, Toto, and--in a small role, buried well down in the credits, the young Marcello Mastroianni. Also featured is another youngster, Claudia Cardinale. If you've seen Rififi, you'll find this comedy a particular joy. If you haven't, you'll like it, anyway. Why doesn't someone rerelease this?