The Brink’s Job (1978)

Three and One Half Stars

In 1978 Dino De Laurentis produced not one but two high profile, period heist pictures—The Brink’s Job and The Great Train Robbery. The latter was more straightforward and arguably a bigger success—Brink’s missed with audiences and critics yet in many ways remains the more interesting film. Director William Friedkin manages to impart an off-kilter tone to the film. Unlike a mainstream caper comedy—it’s not laugh out loud funny and the action isn’t particularly  suspenseful. However, Brink’s is brilliantly cast and gorgeously crafted possessing wonderful moments with some of the finer actors of the era as well as vividly depicting Boston of the mid-20th Century. 

Inspired by real events, The Brink’s Job is the story of some small-time Boston crooks robbing nearly three million dollars from The Brink’s Building in 1950. Peter Falk plays Tony Pino—ringleader and supposedly expert “Pete” man (safecracker)—who approaches the robbery business with more confidence than competence. Always looking for a score, Tony realizes that the Brink’s armored car service is more reliant on their formidable reputation than actual security measures leaving them careless and vulnerable. Pino assembles a crew of other street level guys from the neighborhood including his disastrously inept brother-in-law Vinnie (Allen Garfield/Goorwitz) and bookie Jazz Maffie (Paul Sorvino) to help him rob the Brink’s armored cars and eventually the central safe. 

The characters are somewhat one dimensional as written—this is especially apparent with Gena Rowlands in the thankless role of Tony’s wife—but Friedkin gives the actors space for some beautifully naturalistic, nuanced performances. For much of the film the focus is on the ensemble—keeping Tony’s entire crew within the frame even for individual reaction shots. Yet Falk is at his best in the extensive sequences of Tony casing the Brink’s Building on his own. Friedkin’s choice to add an internal monologue voice-over is unfortunate as Falk’s excellent performance gives the viewer everything they need to follow the story.

One of the stronger character moments in the film takes place post-heist through Warren Oates’ portrayal of shell-shocked demolitions expert Specs O’keefe. Specs is apprehended and jailed on trumped-up charges as part of the FBI’s 50 million dollar man-hunt. During a prison visit from Maffie, Oates transforms Specs into a man on the verge of breaking—fraying at the edges and desperate to get out. While Friedkin previously focused on the crew, in this scene his camera stays on Oates, allowing his performance to unfold and illustrating Specs’ isolation from his former partners. 

This movie looks tremendous and that’s largely due to its incredible production design and attention to detail. Rather than shoot on a set, Friedkin and his team—the award winning production crew from The Godfather Part II—used actual Boston locations in many cases having to remove all trace of modern signs, advertising, and technology. Friedkin demonstrates a true affinity for the street and its inhabitants—shooting in crumbling factories, industrial yards, red-light districts, and filling those shots with remarkably distinct faces resulting in a vibrant historical Boston without the idealized patina of other period films. 

The Brink’s Job is a strange movie and a hard one to rate or review. It’s a heist movie, but it eschews many of the hallmarks of the genre. This is not the story of skilled professionals pulling off the unthinkable—it’s the story of a pack of goofs who manage to execute the job despite themselves. It has comedic moments but much of the craft is in service of its serious side. Still, what craft! In addition to the beautifully recreated period environment, the shot composition and visual storytelling elements at work are marvelous. Brink’s is worth seeking out for heist fans, but an absolute must-watch for Falk or Oates fans as both give top tier performances.

There is a Universal Vault DVD of The Brink’s Job but I would highly recommend the recent Kino Lorber Blu-Ray release. It’s a gorgeous movie and the Blu-Ray transfer is solid, however the real bonus is the audio commentary from film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson. They’ve all done several good commentaries for Kino and the three have a great rapport.