The Italian

Driving through the picturesque Alps, thief Roger Beckerman meets a tragic fate when his car crashes headfirst into a bulldozer, courtesy of the Mafia. They swiftly dispose of him, pushing both him and his vehicle over a cliff into the rushing waters below. In the meantime, his close friend and fellow thief, Charlie Croker—freshly released from prison—reunites with his girlfriend, Lorna. However, the reunion takes a shocking turn as Charlie discovers that he must meet with Roger’s widow instead of him. She urges Charlie to carry forward her late husband’s ambitious plan of executing a daring heist targeting a security convoy transporting $4 million in gold bullion, intended as a down payment to Fiat by China for a car factory.

Determined to pull off this high-stakes operation, Croker takes the drastic step of breaking back into prison to seek financial support from British nationalist crime lord Mr. Bridger. Initially hesitant, Bridger’s interest piques upon learning the heist’s target, leading him to back Croker’s endeavor. With assistance from Bridger’s organized crime network, particularly from his crafty right-hand man Camp Freddie, Croker assembles a skilled crew of specialists, including Lorna and tech whiz Professor Simon Peach. Simon’s expertise will be crucial for sabotaging Turin’s traffic control system, setting the stage for the heist.

Before they embark on their journey to Italy, Croker and his team attend a deceptive funeral set up by Bridger, where he warns them about the dangers posed by the Mafia, who took out Beckerman due to his new job. This discovery serves as a stark reminder of the obstacles they face. Once in Italy, Croker and some crew members strategically split from the rest to dodge attention; however, they soon run into the Mafia, led by their formidable boss Altabani, who ambushes them in the Alps, destroying their vehicles in a similar fashion to Beckerman’s demise. Fortunately, Croker cleverly negotiates their release from a deadly situation.

As night falls, Croker’s crew successfully penetrates the Turin traffic control center. Using his skills, Peach replaces one of the data storage reels with a counterfeit designed to cripple the city’s traffic system just in time for the heist. The next day, as the gold convoy arrives at the airport, Croker makes a protective move for Lorna by sending her to Geneva. Meanwhile, Peach betrays the crew, eventually getting arrested for his questionable actions.

With the city’s CCTV systems out of commission and chaos reigning in traffic, the crew swiftly intercepts the gold convoy outside the Museo Egizio, taking control of the police, towing the armored gold-laden car into a nearby building. They efficiently load the gold into the trunks of three Mini Coopers, then escape disguised as enthusiastic football fans. Croker leads the remaining crew out of the city using a daring route devised by Beckerman, traversing stairs, pedestrian avenues, rooftops, and even sewers.

Back in prison, news of the heist reaches Mr. Bridger, who celebrates with his cellmates as Croker’s crew makes their way to safety through the stunning Alps. Once they rendezvous with a modified coach to collect the Minis, they unload the gold and dispose of the cars in the wilderness. However, during their euphoric celebration on the road, the coach driver loses control, leading to a nail-biting moment when the rear teeters on the brink of a cliff. In a heart-pounding attempt to balance the weight of the gold, Croker inches closer to the precarious cargo and declares confidently: > “Hang on a minute lads. I’ve got a great idea.”

Last Updated: November 15, 2024 at 20:05