Co-written and -directed by the brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, this counts as the second American remake, after Louis Malle's crummy Crackers in 1984, of Mario Monicelli's prototypical caper comedy, Big Deal on Madonna Street. The freshness and flavor, naturally, are long gone. But considered as a repertory piece, like Romeo and Juliet or A Midsummer Night's Dream, it's a brisk and enthusiastic run-through (Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy, Michael Jeter, Jennifer Esposito); and unscenic Cleveland, the filmmakers' hometown, supplies a workable backdrop. The film's best possible function, though, would be as a bread crumb to lead you back to the 1958 original (Gassman, Mastroianni, Toto, Cardinale: those were the days). With Isaiah Washington, Luis Guzman, Patricia Clarkson, and a cameo by George Clooney. (2002) — Duncan Shepherd
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