Michal Caine (with the help of a trio of Mini Coopers) made a mockery of the carabinieri when he stole a few bootfuls of gold in The Italian Job.

Now Cate Blanchett plays an English teacher who mistakenly wipes out four innocent people while on the trail of a heroin dealer, and manages to escape the law.

Unlike Caine, who was a common or garden tea-leaf, Blanchett's character Philippa is seeking revenge after dealer Vendice (Stefano Santospago) effectively kills her husband with an overdose.

Vendice isn't your typical drug salesman furtively hustling on street corners - he operates from a sleek office block behind a respectable business front.

However, the bomb planted by Philippa, destined to end his lucrative trade, takes out a father and his two young daughters as well as a cleaner.

Philippa, who immediately admitted the attack but is unaware of its murderous outcome, willingly gives herself up and is taken into custody.

When she is informed of the enormity of her crime, she collapses in shock and is comforted by fresh-faced policeman Filippo (Ribisi).

A fleeting gesture - the squeezing of his finger - sends the innocent youngster into raptures and he decides he has to help her.

So what started off as little more than a schoolboy crush escalates into something else entirely when he starts plotting to spring her from the Italian nick.

However, crooked police chief Pini Mattia is aware of their every move - and Philippa's escape suits his purposes just fine.

Tykwer's taut direction helps iron out any inconsistencies - for instance, why didn't Philippa merely turn up at Vendice's office and give him both barrels?

His subtle evocation of the blossoming affair between her and Filippo lends it the authenticity to drive the increasingly lyrical narrative.

Blanchett, who seems to relish offbeat roles, plays it just so as the brittle teacher up against the odds while Ribisi displays just the right balance of innocence and guile.

Living up to the title, this engrossing tale boasts a superbly ethereal climax out of the blue.

Tim Evans