Wednesday, August 29, 2012

The Burglars (1971)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Henri Verneuil
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Superb heist flick with numerous memorable sequences. Right from the start, there is an extended robbery and safe cracking scene that takes place with little if any dialogue. Jean-Paul Belmondo is the charismatic leader of the group which includes his girlfriend and two others. However, their planned escape via cargo ship falls through, and they split up. Omar Sharif is the razor-sharp police detective on their trail, including a memorable car chase through the streets, and stairs, of Athens. Perhaps the best scene involves Sharif and some target practice. Dyan Cannon makes an appearance, but she could have easily been cut and the film would have lost nothing. The icing on the cake: Ennio Morricone's soundtrack.

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