Big Deal on Madonna Street

"I thought I just watched this movie..." ▲ ♪

Ever seen Welcome To Collinwood? Then you've seen Big Deal On Madonna Street... for the most part. Welcome To Collinwood is an eerie facsimile of its predecessor from characters and costumes to sets and direction. Almost no detail goes uncopied by the Russo brothers (Oh, and Joe and I used to go to school together. I kid you not.). Anyways, we're not talking about the Russo brothers, we're talking about Mario Monicelli. (Only Italians can grow up with a name like that and not get hassled about it.) This may be one of three films in the Criterion Collection that is actually funny in the way that I think film should be funny. I mean, when The Criterion Collection calls Down By Law "laugh out loud" I have to raise my eyebrows a bit. Have you seen that film? It's not funny (except for Roberto Benigni, but he's always funny). Anyways, we're not talking about Jim Jarmusch, we're talking about Mario. Or rather about the broken sense of humor in the selection committee at The Criterion Collection.
This film is funny.

Favorite Moments: The fake arm gag (that never gets old), Mario throwing the knife into the door, the wall of bottles Tiberio falls on, Cosimo getting run over, Peppe ransacking the kitchen they just broke into.