Topkapi
Director Jules Dassin fashioned this breezy and intricate 1964 thriller with a sly comic bent_ it enjoyed international popularity and became an influence for other high-toned European caper films. Peter Ustinov won an Academy Award for his performance as a hapless driver_ clueless to the plans of his cohorts_ two jewel thieves who plan to steal a priceless dagger from the Topkapi museum in Istanbul_ Turkey. Maximilian Schell and Melina Mercouri play the jet-setting thieves_ who choose a motley band of amateurs instead of pros in order to throw off the authorities. But when Ustinov is apprehended by the cops_ he agrees to act as a spy in order to thwart the robbery. Eventually_ Ustinov must choose between saving his own hide and remaining loyal to the seductive Mercouri as the machinations of the robbery become ever more complex. Sleek and entertaining_ Topkapi is filled with intrigue and thrills at every turn.
