Charley Varrick (1973)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Don't Believe the Hype

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Bankrobbers accidentally rob a bank in which the mob had stashed away a million dollars. The mob goes after them. That's the story. Will they getaway? That is the suspense.Tarantino loves trashy pulp movies and although "Charley Varrick" aint trashy, it certainly has got a cheap seventies tv movie feel to it: the soundtrack could be from mass production for tv, however it is none other than the legendary Lalo Schifrin who scored it. Well great composers, can write mediocre scores too when they get paid little. "Charley Varrick" has got a general cheap seventies feel to it, but nonetheless it is still great to watch, because the acting by Walter Matthau is terrific and so are the other supporting actors. The camerawork in this movie is pretty epic: lots of use of telelenses with wide cinemascope landscapes, really gorgeous. The movie is very slowpaced which I love, I will say it again: I love the slow pace and the long scenes with the wide camerashots. So dont expect anything flashy and modern. But it still has got lots of suspense, you just wanna know what is gonna happen next after each plotturn. Action is (again) a bit cheap sometimes, but nonetheless gripping.So there you have it. A simple but clever story. Cheap seventies feel. But still lots of great acting and camerawork. I have come to like this Tarantino favorite (quoted in Pulp Fiction). I wouldnt have seen it if it wasnt recommended by Tarantino. I have watched it mutiple times now and there is something really cool and righteous about the lead character played by Walter Matthau in this movie. Maybe that's why Tarantino likes "Charley Varrick" so much. "Are you cool? I am cool". It is cheap, but cool! Akward combination, but it works splendidly! A real moviegeeks gem.

Walter Matthau really sheds his Odd Couple image in Charley Varrick. No laugh track here and no opposite flatmate who is obsessive compulsive.One memorable scene is where hapless bank manager Harold Young (Woodrow Parfrey) is told in no uncertain terms that he's up the creek without paddle because he allowed mob money to be stolen from his branch. What an intense scene, and if there was a deleted scene I would have liked to have seen Harold go on the run to protect his life. Perhaps he could have flown to Hawaii or somewhere in the Yukon.

I saw Charley Varrick for the first time around 1975, and really liked Matthau's performance against type. I tend to think of him as a comedy actor but he, in Charley Varrick, plays a thief with a past, and comes across very credibly. The cast is sound, photography typically unassuming 1970s, strong screen play, and highly believable action with effective stunts. One of those flicks that I like getting out of my VHS/DVD collection every second or third year for a re-visit. It is that good!

Dear Don Seigel, did Clint refuse to act in this film? Don't get me wrong, Walter Mathau was very good. I'm simply asking because Clint acted in four of your films before this one.Anyway, it is to find films like Charley Varrick that I watch American movies. I loved it from the beginning itself. The small town milieu. The long and deserted highways. Clear blue skies. People who live in trailer parks. The whorehouses.I can imagine Tarantino being inspired by this film when he wrote Michael Madsen's character and the scenes in his trailer for Kill Bill 2.The score by Lalo Schifrin was intense. I loved the title sequence and the way the score was used to create tension.But what happened in the last 20 minutes? A dark and intense heist thriller suddenly turned into a big budget Hitchcock film. I did not see that coming at all.But even then, a very enjoyable heist film. It is almost like a thieves procedural.Best Regards, Pimpin.(8/10)