I Soliti Ignoti is a phrase that roughly translates to "the usual suspects."  The film was released in The United States as Big Deal on Madonna Street. This is a comedy heist film that devotes a lot of its time to the amalgamation of its central pack of rogues, but not so much that it becomes a shaggy-dog story. 

      Following in the footsteps of the Italian Neorealist movement, the film uses real-world locations and several non-actors in prominent roles. According to director Mario Monicelli, this is meant as a parody of Neorealism, but modern audiences will likely miss the joke, as cinema has long since left the studio. In any event, the craggy and crumbling streets of Rome are beautifully photographed, and the locations contribute to the desperation felt by the characters.

    I Soliti Ignoti has genuine surprises in its plot, most of them humorously executed.  The film tends to avoid cliche where it can, although a couple of the jokes are old music-hall chestnuts themselves. A light-hearted character-driven heist film that tries to undermine the audience's expectations? Add the occasional voiceover with parenthetical asides and this feels like the film Godard was trying to make early in his career.

     I Soliti Ignoti is considered one of the great classics of Italian cinema. Despite the reputation, it is not a ponderous art film. It's a gritty but very friendly crowd-pleaser that nearly anyone can enjoy, even some 60 years later.