reviewing the film in the "chicago sun-times", roger ebert wrote, "the movie was directed by william friedkin, best known for the violence and shock of "the exorcist", "the french connection", and "sorcerer". what he exhibits here, though, is a light touch, an ability to orchestrate rich human humor with a bunch of characters who look like they were born to stand in a police lineup. falk, playing pino, has never been better in a movie. he gives the guy a nice, offbeat edge; pino is a natural hustler looking for the angle in everything. [...] friedkin has great control of tone. he gives us characters who are comic and yet seem realistic enough that we share their feelings, and he gives us a movie that's funny and yet functions smoothly as a thriller. this sort of craft is sometimes hard to appreciate - "the brink's job" is so well put together that it doesn't draw attention to its direction. [...] and the acting is great to savor. the characters are richly detailed, complicated, given dialog that's written with almost musical cadences."