This is the sort of film the critics love to label "a witless farce", and certainly for the first 30 minutes or so, this description would be fair enough. True, Gerard Oury's direction is rather inventive, but the acting tends to be so heavy-handed that it smothers the jokes (such as they are). An obviously dubbed voice for Jean-Paul Belmondo doesn't help matters. It's fortunate that the other main players – including the delightful Bourvil – speak their own English lines. In fact, the film was actually filmed in two versions. Nevertheless, it's still a bit of a pain until the introduction of super-charming Silvia Monti, at which point it definitely picks up, not only in Miss M's physical attractiveness, but in the level of the farce itself. Even the direction becomes more amusing and super-delightfully extravagant, while the budget becomes suddenly more and more expensive and expansive. In fact, some of the stunts are almost unbelievable, but we see them happening with our own eyes – and on real locations and with hundreds of extras too! Adroit film editing also adds a lot to our entertainment. In fact, it's a pleasure to see a real film director like Gerard Oury spending the producer's money so lavishly and well. True, not everyone will like this sort of crazy, super-expensively produced slapstick, but it becomes so well-timed and brilliantly directed, that – once Miss Monti enters the fray – I loved every second and minute of it! French title: Le Cerveau.

Very Sixties in its making - with elements of the Italian Job and the Pink Panther combined - the Brain is silly, slick, and entertaining.The robbery is colossal - $7 million in used notes from 14 countries all on one train! With an all star international cast headed up by Belmondo and Niven this is a frantic, frenetic, fun-filled take on the caper genre - and it really works - from the prison break to the caper itself and the subsequent chase it's high speed all the way.Everything just kind of works - a great cast - a very competent director and all in all, it's fun.The only downside is its very difficult to find and is rarely scheduled.It has however finally been released in France on a double DVD (Without subs).If you can find it it's a film to enjoy.

A film me and family watched when i was a child back in the early 1980's when Video was approaching Puberty.To my knowledge it has only ever been shown on British Terrestial TV Once (unsure about satellite channels !!) Mum recorded and we 3 kids(3 more came along and they have never seen this film we older ones talk about )wore the tape out - it was played again and again and again.To this day i was still humming the theme tune and was delighted to find it on tape and bought it straight away.For me i was 12 again - i got the same feelings i got when i saw star wars I again at the cinema again a few years ago David Niven is a charm to watch as are Jean Paul Bemondo, Bourvil and Eli Wallach.To cut a long story short a Train robbery,a Beautiful lady whose brother runs the local mafia, a great car chase involving the smaller Statue et liberte and a man whose brain is so large it cause s his head to tilt at times of anxiety and 2 small time thieves who embark on the same job after stealing the plans, the support actors play their parts great and its a film full of laughsFor a plot, good story, some great comedy acting - see this movie - As the song says "they call him the brain the fabulous brain, for stealing a heart while robbing a train! One of my favourite films of all times and its a shame its never shown !

Gerard Oury is as we know the master of French comedies (he directed most of the Louis De Funes-movies) and this one brings Jean-Paul Belmondo and Bourvil into one delicious film. Don't think too much about the script and its reality-factor as a trainrobbery can never be like that but it has the fun of those typical French sixties-movies and believe me, it's a relief. It's the kind of movie you will remember for ages, especially David Niven who is called The Brain whom can be recognized by a bent over head as his IQ is too heavy (yeah it's that type of humour but it works)and as always Bourvil is superb.