Director Don Siegel is on top of his game with this engaging bit of entertainment, a niftily plotted and violent yarn. Walter Matthau is aces in the title role, a crop duster who decides to pull off a bank heist with his wife Nadine (Jacqueline Scott) and hot headed younger partner Harman (Andrew Robinson). Needless to say, the heist goes awry, but that's NOT the twist. The twist is that their substantial take (3/4 of $1 million) is actually laundered Mafia money. Now Charley has to convince Harman to withhold from spending any of the money right away while doing some real problem solving. Meanwhile, the Mob sends a cool-as-can-be hit-man, "Molly" (Joe Don Baker), after Charley and company.
What's key to making a lot of this work is that, for the most part, it's convincing. Based on the novel "The Looters" by John Reese, and scripted by Howard Rodman and Dean Riesner, the film does a great job of storytelling, keeping its grip through a deliberately paced hour and 51 minutes. It doesn't take very long for the action to start, and the situation now facing Charley and Harman is a compelling one. You have to wonder how he's going to think his way out of it, especially since it's fairly common knowledge that the Mafia has a LONG memory and will keep pursuing Charley unless they think that he is already dead. But Charley is a pretty crafty guy, and it's hard to say just how aware he was of what he was getting into. He's got surprises in store, for both the other characters *and* the audience.
Matthau is excellent in a low key and believable portrayal. Robinson is fun as the punkish young partner. The casting of Felicia Farr is a neat in-joke considering that she was married to Matthaus' frequent co-star Jack Lemmon. John Vernon is solid as the bank executive with his own problems to solve. The superb supporting cast reads like a Who's Who of talent of the time: Sheree North, Norman Fell, Benson Fong, Woodrow Parfrey, William Schallert, Albert Popwell, Christina Hart. Look for Matthaus' son Charles as a boy carrying roses. Siegel himself has the small role of Murphy, and Bob Steele has his last (uncredited) screen role as a bank guard.
Highlighted by Lalo Schifrins' energetic music score and Michael C. Butlers' vibrant cinematography, "Charley Varrick" slowly but surely makes its way towards an exciting car vs. plane chase finale, and a delicious final resolution.
Eight out of 10.
What's key to making a lot of this work is that, for the most part, it's convincing. Based on the novel "The Looters" by John Reese, and scripted by Howard Rodman and Dean Riesner, the film does a great job of storytelling, keeping its grip through a deliberately paced hour and 51 minutes. It doesn't take very long for the action to start, and the situation now facing Charley and Harman is a compelling one. You have to wonder how he's going to think his way out of it, especially since it's fairly common knowledge that the Mafia has a LONG memory and will keep pursuing Charley unless they think that he is already dead. But Charley is a pretty crafty guy, and it's hard to say just how aware he was of what he was getting into. He's got surprises in store, for both the other characters *and* the audience.
Matthau is excellent in a low key and believable portrayal. Robinson is fun as the punkish young partner. The casting of Felicia Farr is a neat in-joke considering that she was married to Matthaus' frequent co-star Jack Lemmon. John Vernon is solid as the bank executive with his own problems to solve. The superb supporting cast reads like a Who's Who of talent of the time: Sheree North, Norman Fell, Benson Fong, Woodrow Parfrey, William Schallert, Albert Popwell, Christina Hart. Look for Matthaus' son Charles as a boy carrying roses. Siegel himself has the small role of Murphy, and Bob Steele has his last (uncredited) screen role as a bank guard.
Highlighted by Lalo Schifrins' energetic music score and Michael C. Butlers' vibrant cinematography, "Charley Varrick" slowly but surely makes its way towards an exciting car vs. plane chase finale, and a delicious final resolution.
Eight out of 10.