A group of inept small-time crooks plans to rob a pawn shop. It seems most of the film is devoted to the exposition. We get to know a little about every member of the motley crew, but none of them leads a life that is the least bit interesting. It's meant to be parody of caper films, particularly "Rififi," an Italian film released three years earlier, except that there is nothing funny here. It's mostly dull and goes on far too long. The ineptitude is not limited to the crooks; the writer and director are guilty of it too. It is interesting mainly for seeing Cardinale in just her second role and Mastroianni on the verge of becoming a big star.

After enjoying Mario Monicelli's La Grande Guerra, I decided to continue to discover more of his work, and I wasn't disappointed. I Soliti Ignoti, although in a completely different genre, is as funny and elegant as his WWI satire.I Soliti Ignoti is a send-up of caper movies. John Huston invented the caper in 1950 with The Asphalt Jungle, and Jules Dassin's Rififi reached its zenith in 1955. There was nothing new to do but to satirize the genre now.The movie involves a group of incompetent, small-time crooks and thieves coming together to break into a pawn store and steal the safe full of money and jewels. The movie follows this idiosyncratic group planning the heist and trying to overcome the adversities that come up unexpectedly; plus they have to deal with their own private lives.The characters are diverse and have their own little back story: there's Peppe, a failed boxer; Cosimo, a veteran thief who gives the criminals the idea for the heist, but ironically can't join them since he's in jail; there's Tiberio, raising his baby alone while his wife is in jail. And actor Totò plays a small but delightful role as an ex-criminal who gives lessons on how to crack safes.The movie is inventive, full of setbacks and unexpected change of plans, and the humor derives not so much from the dialogue but from the ridiculous situations and personal problems the crooks face. And the movie comes together perfectly at the end - it's unexpected but wholly convincing, even inevitable.Mario Monicelli and his screenwriters deserve a lot of praise for this little pearl of humor.

As is typical in most Italian comedies, Monicelli has taken a cup of post war Italy realism and stirred in a cup of scenes from the human condition along with a dash of physical comedy which makes 'Big Deal On Madonna Street' a bittersweet cake we all can enjoy.Like DeSica and Visconti, Monicelli uses post war Italy as the atmosphere in which these characters find themselves trying to eke out their lives. The recurring Italian film maker's theme of man against a complicated, bureaucratic life is no more evident than here. Throughout the film, the characters impressively quote Italian law by chapter and verse however this does not help them as they all have spent time in jail. The absurdity of knowledge without benefit of improvement is a another theme used. As Toto waxes eloquently regarding the sundry ways to break into a safe (one which the film goer is led to believe he knows nothing about), these men attempt to gain knowledge which they believe will deliver the big score. However even with knowing the apartment is empty, the type of safe the valuables are in and the way to gain access to the safe, their plan is flawed by their inability to execute what seems to them to be a fool proof blue print for success.While Monicelli's themes ring as clear as the bell that has Peppe il pantera (Gassman) on the canvas, the characterizations of this band of misfits are classic. A stuttering, would be fighter (Gassman), and an out-of-work photographer who has sold his camera to survive (Mastroianni)lead the crew. The scenes played between Gassman's 'everything's easy' attitude and Mastroianni's inquisitiveness provide the viewer with hilarious cat and mouse verbal trade-offs.In the end, 'Big Deal On Madonna Street' strikes a chord for viewers because we have all felt, at times, completely helpless by the absurdity of life and our pursuit for 'the prize' that we perceive will deliver us from our situation. However like this crew at the end of the film, we wake up every morning and realize that it's back to work to grind out another day.

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!!!!!!!