An early seventies thriller with a lot going for it, not least the laconic Walter Matthau. His easy, lugubrious style brings a comic warmth to the story, which sees a group of supervillains (named after colours, 20 years before Reservoir Dogs) hijack a subway train and threaten to blow it up if it slows down (a clear influence on Speed). Robert Shaw is suitably cold and villainous as the head of the criminal gang; the action is well-paced by director Joseph Sargent.
The Taking of Pelham 123 is a forgotten gem not only of the 1970s, and of the crime thriller genre, but also of cinema as a whole. When four gun toting men in hats, tr... more >
The Taking of Pelham 123 is a forgotten gem not only of the 1970s, and of the crime thriller genre, but also of cinema as a whole. When four gun toting men in hats, trench coats and Groucho Marx glasses led by Shaw hijack a New York subway train, take its passengers hostage and then demand a ransom, it’s down to Matthau’s Transit Authority cop to save the day. This may sound formulaic, and to an extent it is, but it works brilliantly and amounts to an extremely tense thriller. However, where the film comes into its own is the comedic aspects this has a very funny script with sharp, crackling dialogue and even the most minor roles are populated by lively characters. It even has the city mayor as a weak-willed politician concerned about public perception and unduly influenced by a spin-doctor. Across the board, the acting is absolutely top-notch with Shaw’s unflinching hijacker and Balsam as an increasingly concerned cohort standout. But this is Matthau’s film he wins a tough battle against a quite hideous shirt-and-tie and gives a terrific performance, with all the usual hangdog, wisecracking, world-weariness but in a very atypical movie for him. Hopefully, with Tarantino borrowing the idea of colour pseudonyms for the bad guys in Reservoir Dogs from here, there will be a re-ignition of interest in, and a welcome rediscovery of, this great film < less
