The Brink’s Job (1978)

Inspired by the true story of the Brink’s Robbery of 1950, Peter Falk is a small-time Boston crook who, after successfully robbing a Brink’s armor car with his gang, sets his sights on bigger prey, the Brink’s headquarters. As a heist film, this mostly doesn’t work for me. There’s not a lot of tension in the actual heist, almost everything goes smoothly and as planned. The tension arises more as the noose tightens around the gang, which includes Peter Boyle, Paul Sorvino, and Warren Oates, as Brink’s tries to save its reputation and the gang squabbles amongst themselves. Visually there is a lot done to evoke post-War Boston, but I wish the pacing of the film had been kept throughout to hold my interest.

Oscar Nomination: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration