The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

I am biased a little with this film to begin with, as I live in NYC and am a big subway fan. So a gritty 70's flick that takes place in a NYC subway sounds good to me! But the truth is, this film is a great film full of extremely talented actors with a dynamite story. Shaw and Matthau are the obvious stars with everyone else putting in a good co-starring role.

The story takes place on the "6" train no less, which happens to be my fave subway line! It was a great surprise when I found the DVD for only ten bucks, I would have paid a normal price. And the quality of the DVD transfer is VERY nice. The film, though a bit brutal sometimes, even has some decent humor, even the ending is kinda funny, but perfect. I recently watched this on TV, just to compare the two versions and see where all the cuts and edits were. You can't go wrong with this film.

A group of criminals highjack a subway train and demand $1 million from New York City. Transit cop, Lt. Garber tries to work the situation out, but it seems the gang have planned everything to the second and are running the show. Garber tries to get one step ahead of the gang.

Of course now everyone knows this film because of the supposed connection to Reservoir Dogs, in that the criminals are colour coded instead of names. However even without this cult reference this film deserves to be watched and enjoyed. The story exists on two levels. First we have the setup – it also acknowledges that it is the usual disaster movie setup….the majority of characters are listed in the credits as stereotypes instead of people (ie, `the pimp' `the junkie' etc). However this is not a weakness as the thriller story is solid enough to carry the film. It isn't all action but it's very tense and interesting. What really tops it off is the thick vein of humour that runs through it – mostly coming from Matthau.

Matthau shows how wonderful he is and how he manages to do well in so many different film styles. His world-weary act is great and his Brooklyn accent is pushed to the fore. Roberts Shaw is also good, but has less of a character and is working hard to sound English. The cast is actually deep in faces – we have an almost unrecognisable Elizondo, Woody Allen actor Tony Roberts, a fantastic Mayor from Wallace and Jerry Stiller (Ben's dad), who doesn't look much older today than he did then!

Overall this is very enjoyable, but it is made by Matthau. The thriller plot stands up well despite the lack of modern fireworks. A cult classic in the making.

... Thank Goodness it wasn't!

I switched on me TV last night after an evening out and the opening credits of Pelham was just finishing. Not knowing the name of this film (the Carry On listing was clearly not being shown, perhaps the Producer-dude had a revelation of taste!) I began to watch it half-heartedly, whilst prostrate on the sofa.

By the end of the movie, and that glorious last look from Matthau, I was sitting blot-upright with the biggest grin I've had on my face at 2am for a long time!

What a flick! What a film! How good was this simple, little, under-rated, under-stated movie? Very.

See this film, forgive it for being written in the 70-ties, in fact revel in that non-PC fact (the Chinese/Lady jokes are, retrospectively, quite amusing, in a non-Carry On way).

They just don't make 'um like this anymore. Simple, sweet, suspense.

Modern tough-guy filmmakers like Quentin Tarentino acknowledge their debt to this pedal-to-the-metal thriller, directed by Joseph Sargent from John Godey's bestseller. Walter Matthau is a hoot as the savvy NY transit cop who's smarter than he looks, well-matched by Robert Shaw as the icy mercenary whose gang has hijacked a subway car for a one-million-dollar ransom.

This film's been imitated so often because its makers were really at the top of their game. Owen Roizman (THE FRENCH CONNECTION) handled the gritty location photography; scripter Peter Stone contributed terse, funny dialogue; scene-stealers like Martin Balsam, Jerry Stiller, Dick O'Neill and others made their roles indelible; and David Shire's percussive score set a standard for the genre.

The ending is classic. When you have Matthau as your star, this is how to end your movie.

A subway train is hijacked by armed gang, Mr. Blue's the boss, he has an English twang, there's also Grey and Brown and Green, in car one they all convene, uncoupling the rest, that leaves eighteen. A dialogue begins, with those up top, Lt. Garber is a New York transit cop, who's informed by Mr. Blue, of the ransom they pursue, one million dollars is the price for hostage swap.

Still a wonderful piece of filmmaking, Robert Shaw perfectly cast as Mr. Blue, the exchanges between him and Walter Matthau as Garber outstanding, all encompassed in a more than believable story that travels without interruption, all the way to the end of the line.