I don't think I can make myself any clearer by saying that Walter Matthau was a grade-A, certified, Bad-ass. This actor was always a little bit of a slob and always looked about a decade older than his actual age, but he was a force to be reckoned with. Never more so than in the overlooked/forgotten gem Charley Varrick (1973).
While browsing this blog I came across the lists of best heist films, and was less than surprised to see that this caper was nowhere to be found (like I said it is pretty obscure). The Getaway (1972) on the other hand was a bit of a surprise. I guess this film really does earn the title "Last of the Independents."
Matthau plays the title character that along with three other thieves (one of them his wife as the getaway driver) hold up a bank in the films opening. They make off with far more than they had anticipated, over half a million more. Sounds great right? Wrong. Only Charley realizes that they have just inadvertently ripped-off the mob. The mob doesn't arrest, forgive, or forget. They hunt. They send their number one tracker Molly (Joe Don Baker) a very cool and ruthless pit-bull that will stop at nothing to retrieve the money and extinguish the crooks.
The film is actually a pretty standard heist/chase thriller with one major difference: The hero is a frigging genius. It is so refreshing to root for a hero that uses his brain before resulting to violence. He knows not to spend any of the money, knows the best places to hide/keep a low profile, and just wait till you see what he does with dental records.
I am actually a bit stunned that this film didn't star Clint Eastwood considering it was the brainchild of director and collaborator Don Siegel (Dirty Harry, Escape from Alcatraz). The role feels tailor made for him, but I loved that Matthau makes it his own. My best guess is that Eastwood was preoccupied at the time with Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. Another quite excellent and often overlooked heist thriller.
I just bought this on DVD the other day after searching for it for some time. I had seen it back in high school on my father's recommendation when he told me how much of a fan Mr. Tarantino must have been of Mr. Matthau's heist thrillers. It's common knowledge now that the color named criminals idea of Reservoir Dogs came from The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. But it is lesser known that the line "Go to work on you with a pair of pliers and a blow torch" was lifted from this film.
I highly recommend this little heist thriller, because it is sharp, simple, and unjustly unsung. If that isn't reason enough, than see it for Matthau. Not only does he steal the loot, but the entire film as well. A
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