Comedy is the hardest genre to do well. Put characters in a haunted house with a skilled director behind the camera, and you've got a passable horror. Get two appealing leads with a nice chemistry, and you've got a decent romance. A compelling premise and solid visual effects make a watchable sci-fi flick. And so on. But comedy is subtle and elusive. There are no safe, foolproof formulas: so many things have to work (characters, cast, dialogue, plot, pacing, direction...), and any flaw can be fatal and make the whole structure collapse.
I Soliti Ignoti is a gem: a character-driven, briskly paced parody of a heist movie with sharp dialogue and unforgettable vignettes. There's no fat on the bones, not a single wasted sequence. Characters are memorable, from Gassman's dim-witted leader (this was his first comedic performance, a revelation) who plans a great robbery but tragically overestimates his own cunning to his sarcastic right-hand man (Mastroianni), from solemn Sicilian rogue Ferribotte to ancient, clumsy, gluttonous, overly enthusiastic Capannelle. A cameo from Totò as a skeptical master thief is one of the many highlights of the movie.
While not as abrasive as the other great master of Italian comedy of those years (Pietro Germi), director Monicelli manages to squeeze in some caustic social commentary, as he examines with sympathy the urban underbelly of losers and social rejects.
A masterpiece, and among the gems of Italian cinema.
10/10
I Soliti Ignoti is a gem: a character-driven, briskly paced parody of a heist movie with sharp dialogue and unforgettable vignettes. There's no fat on the bones, not a single wasted sequence. Characters are memorable, from Gassman's dim-witted leader (this was his first comedic performance, a revelation) who plans a great robbery but tragically overestimates his own cunning to his sarcastic right-hand man (Mastroianni), from solemn Sicilian rogue Ferribotte to ancient, clumsy, gluttonous, overly enthusiastic Capannelle. A cameo from Totò as a skeptical master thief is one of the many highlights of the movie.
While not as abrasive as the other great master of Italian comedy of those years (Pietro Germi), director Monicelli manages to squeeze in some caustic social commentary, as he examines with sympathy the urban underbelly of losers and social rejects.
A masterpiece, and among the gems of Italian cinema.
10/10