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Best movie of this year hands down!

As Good As It Gets

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Zoom out. I'm 13 years old. The exact year The Italian Job hits screens. A big, early summer slammer! Here I am. I love the "That Don't Impress Me Much" music video that my older babysitting-cousin who has just returned after stealing away to Texas for an abortion is obsessed with.I start seeing trailers for The Italian Job. HooBoy! I had never seen a Mini! These babies are all over the screen! Skidding around! Don't be fooled. There are some important heist-like situations in the movie...the crew even BLOWS UP a roadway in order to completely vanish a semi-truck containing a safe that Charlize Theron attempts to crack only after...Seth...Green...identifies the correct truck (in a lineup of 3) by remotely viewing their tire gauges (the one with the safe is heavier!).I mean, it's a revenge plot. But just try to take your eyes off those Minis!

The Italian Job (2003): Dir: F. Gary Grey / Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Jason Statham, Donald Sutherland: The title doesn't describe the film as a whole but it is a remake of a much better film. The characters had potential but none have personalities. They are double crossed after a heist. Those remaining narrowly avoid death and plot revenge a year later with plans to steal the gold bars they originally stole. Setup isn't new but structure details the operation. The conclusion more or less glorifies crime. Director F. Gary Grey previously made the cliché filled farce The Negotiator. Mark Wahlberg is no Michael Caine but he does pull off the desire for revenge after a hefty double cross. After devising the plan he is assisted by Charlize Theron who plays the daughter of his deceased boss who was murdered during the opening sabotage. Both are driven by revenge, which serves against any sympathy in the end. Edward Norton plays a double crossing sleaze who learns that his intelligence is outmatched. Other roles are not as broad although Jason Statham is featured among the supporting cast. Donald Sutherland plays their former boss and Theron's father but the role isn't very broad. It substitutes the original's humour for action with little purpose. The result is an action film that doesn't represent Italy let alone get the job done. Score: 4 ½ / 10

The faithfulness of re-made films to their original material run the gamut from shot-for-shot remakes, like 1998's "Psycho" (starring then little-known Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche), all the way to movies that bear almost no resemblance to the original except for the title and basic concept, like 2013's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, Sean Penn). 2003's "The Italian Job" is somewhere in the middle, but closer to the latter. This movie is a remake of the 1969 Michael Caine vehicle of the same name, and known as one of Britain's most popular films. The 2003 version is, according to director F. Gary Gray, "an homage" that is "inspired by the original". The remake changes the location of the story's main caper, but keeps the focus on stealing gold bullion. The homage aspect of the remake can be seen in the names of some of the characters (even though their roles in the plot are different), the part of the plan that involves carefully controlling the escape route, the prominent use of the Mini Coopers, an escape through a small tunnel and a dramatic scene in which a vehicle is perched precariously over a large drop. But I'm getting ahead of myself.2003's "The Italian Job" begins with a creative and daring heist of $35 million worth of gold bullion in Venice, Italy. The gang consists of Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg, in the Michael Caine role), Steve (Edward Norton), "Handsome Rob" (Jason Statham), "Napster" (Seth Green), "Left Ear" (Mos Def) and the group's senior member (pulling his final job), John Bridger (Donald Sutherland). After cleverly making off with the gold, the crew is celebrating on a mountain road in the Alps (also a setting from the original film), when John praises Charlie (the group's new leader) for planning the perfect robbery and pulling it off "without even holding a gun." Unfortunately, the group doesn't get much farther than that. One of their own turns on them, leaves them all for dead and makes off with the gold.The story now jumps ahead one year. The original group's traitor is living large in his L.A. mansion, while those he thought were dead are planning to steal back what remains of the gold bars. John's daughter, Stella (Charlize Theron), an expert safecracker like her father, joins the gang. They also take on a mechanic named Wrench (Franky G), who the group needs to customize those Mini Coopers that are essential to the plan – and so prominent in the story that Gray referred to them as "part of the cast." After dealing with some unexpected challenges and having to completely change their plan, Charlie and his crew go after the gold in a climax that is even more inventive and exciting than the original robbery in Venice."The Italian Job" is exactly what a movie like this should be – a whole lot of fun! Every cast member is fun and interesting to watch and they have great chemistry between them. The story contains some clichés, but you won't care. The screenplay by Donna and Wayne Powers has some very funny moments amidst all the scheming and double-crossing. Gray balances it all perfectly, makes the whole thing entertaining and what comes out is a "Job" definitely worth having.

Mindless car chase heist thriller apparently a remake of a much better film. The early film is of course not available on Netflix streaming.Cost 60 million grossed 176 million...Had a black director...so won all kinds of prizes...it was not taut and the filming below average so it gets a 5. Usually in this price range Hollywood can crank out tight beautifully crafted camera work....The idea of repeating the tactics of having the 1 ton safe crash through 2 floors into a canal with a 20 ton armored truck was clever and had a nice touch of covering up the hole made with a sheet of steel...why not make it asphalt covered that would have been even more funny. Having them escape on an Amtrak train made me scratch my head as probably the worst idea they could possibly come up with if this was a real heist. I have yet to take an Amtrak train that was not at least 6 hours late.They must have consumed all their money on the stunts which were quasi believable plus car chases all of which are kind of ho hum any more...controlling traffic lights yawn...Amtrak??? pours cold water on any thing.Add better writers. Tight Hollywood film craft for hard to do angles etc...then it would have got a 6 or even a 7 as normal fareI like this kind of genre but there needs to be some suspense this takes skill and subtlety not dollars...this thing has the twists but they are not scary nor suspenseful---it also has sort of corny humor feel good 50s squareness to it (one gang member dreaming of how he would spend his money wanted a stereo that would blow women's clothes off)--added half a star for that oddity though others might subtract half a star.Read some of the 1 star reviews they are entertaining...this thing doesn't exactly bore but I looked at the time left several times....Recommend? if you have time to kill or a female under 16 apparently the largest audience group...(they thought the male stars hot ????--and I am gay they did zero for me--except maybe the 500 pound guy or the Ukrainians--joke) This is your review, you may delete or edit it.