Charley Varrick

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MC B @RT23450091 Feb 26 Just watched some 70's movie- The Long Goodbye, Nightmoves, The Conversation, and Charley Varrick. Thw first 3 I highly recommend. But Charley Varrick isn't even close to those films. 2 stars and an incredibly annoying soundtrack. Skip Charley Varrick. See more Russ G @RT78760655 Feb 24 Some interesting plot twists, but some you just can't square. Charley uses his pursuers to bump off his loose-cannon partner, but how did he know everyone would cooperate in his little scheme? He needs the passports, but knows the woman will double-cross him? The action is good and the pacing OK, but the whole thing is just too clever by half. Joe Don Baker is good as the sadistic hit man, but who would'a thunk that Oscar Madison could be a stone killer? See more GotRizz237 @RT94619608 Feb 12 I really enjoyed Charley Varrick! Really great story and characters. See more E G. @EGib8 Jan 24 One of my all time favorite movies! Walter Matthau is fabulous as Charley Varrick. The film stars Dean Wormer from Animal House, Andy Robinson from Dirty Harry, Norman Fell, a lot of actors most people are familiar with; the acting is top notch and the story is incredibly interesting. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Oct 6 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Allan C @RT15713161 Jun 29 Director Don Siegel followed up his hit film DIRTY HARRY with this smaller crime picture about Walter Matthau as Charley Varrick, the last of the small-time independent criminals. Varrick, his wife, and his partner knock over a rural bank for farmers, but when their haul far exceeds what they were expecting, they realize they knocked over a mob-fronted bank. As with most heist films, that's when things go downhill. To reveal any more of the plot would spoil the fun, but there are twists and turns that the smartest filmgoer won't see coming. There's a great supporting cast, but the standout is Joe Don Baker as a mob enforcer named Molly, who's called in to get the money back. He's charming, soft-spoken, and completely dangerous. Besides Siegel, there are multiple DIRTY HARRY connections to this film. Andrew Robinson (the Scorpio Killer from DIRTY HARRY) plays Varrick's partner, who wants to spend the money and not sit on it. John Vernon (who played the mayor and famously tells Callihan, "I don't want any more trouble like you had last year in the Fillmore district.”) plays a double crossing mobster, and even Albert Popwell (he was the bank robber who gets the "Did he fire six shots or only five" speech) in on hand in a small part. The film was also co-written by frequent Siegel collaborator Dean Riesner, who also worked on DIRTY HARRY. Regarding the script, this is one of those films you walk out of and think to yourself, this was a really smart script! It's one of those films like THE STING or THE SIXTH SENSE, where when you rewatch the film, all the clues are right there out in the open from the start. It's such a clever script! Besides DIRTY HARRY alumni, the cast also features Sheree North as a forger, William Schallert as the small-town sheriff, and stuntman Craig R. Baxley plays a character named van Sickle, which appears to be a tribute to longtime stuntman Dale van Sickle. Cap all of this off with a terrific score by the great Lalo Schifrin, who also composed the music for DIRTY HARRY, among other films (BULLITT, ENTER THE DRAGON, RUSH HOUR), and you have a film that is a crime film masterpiece! CHARLEY VARRICK is a near-perfect crime film and is a must-see for fans of these sorts of films. FUN FACT! John Vernon's character says, "They're gonna strip you naked and go to work on you with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch," is paraphrased in PULP FICTION by Marsellus Wallace on what he's going to do to his attackers after Bruce Willis saves him. Below is my review from the last time I watched the film. 3-31-18 Underrated 70s crime film from veteran director Don Siegel Charley Varrick (1973) ****1/2 Terrific underrated crime film from veteran Hollywood director Don Siegel. Siegel was coming off the biggest hit of his career with “Dirty Harry” when he made this quirky crime film starring Walter Matthau, who at the time was best known for his comedic roles. Matthau plays career criminal Charley Varrick, who pulls a bank job with Andrew Robinson (the deranged killer in “Dirty Harry”), but the two realize there was far more money in the bank than their should have been and that the bank is a mob front, meaning they just robbed the mafia and are now on the run for their lives. To reveal more would spoil the clever and twisting plot, but I can say that things kick off with bank president John Vernon calling upon a laconic mob hitman named Molly, played by the always great Joe Don Baker to track down the stolen money. The rest of the cast includes many familiar character actors, including Norman Fell, William Schallert, and even future director Craig R. Baxley (“I Come in Peace” and “Action Jackson”). The film was co-written by frequent Siegel collaborator Dean Riesner (uncredited script doctor on “Starman”, “Sudden Impact”, and “Blue Thunder” and credited writer on “Dirty Harry”, “Coogan's Bluff”, and “Rich Man, Poor Man”). Siegel’s frequent composer Lalo Schifrin (“Bullitt”, “Enter the Dragon”, “Mission Impossible”) is also on hand to deliver another excellent score. Overall, if you’re fan of 70s crime films along the lines of “Prime Cut” or “The Outfit”, you’ll greatly enjoy “Charley Varrick”. FUN FACT! At one point in the film, John Vernon’s character tell’s another character, "They're gonna strip you naked and go to work on you with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch," which Quentin Tarantino paid homage to in “Pulp Fiction” when Marsellus Wallace says almost the exact same line. See more Read all reviews

Charley Varrick

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