Charley Varrick (DVD)

There was something about the thrillers, crime and otherwise, that came out of Hollywood in the first half of the 1970s that seemed to set them apart, and I've never really been able to figure out precisely what it was. I suppose it was a mixture of mood and look. At that time the war in Vietnam was winding down and President Nixon was slowly sleepwalking towards his very own Waterloo... the Watergate scandal. The mood in America was cynical and angry, even confused, and this seemed to colour the movies of the day. As for the look of them; well, any fortysomething like me who grew up with 70s US television programmes will know what I mean: the meaty and messy musical ...  Read the complete review

I am afraid that I do not enjoy films in which Walter Matthau plays a comedy role, they just do not appeal to my sense of humour. However, when Matthau plays a straight acting role, such as in Charley Varrick, then I normally very much enjoy his work. Walter Matthau plays the part of Charley Varrick who is a bit of a “has-been” pilot who now earns a steady living as a crop duster. As a sideline to raise a little extra cash, along with some friends, he robs the odd small bank. The four robbers raid a small bank in New Mexico expecting to get about $2000, but steal more than three-quarters of a million dollars. Varrick soon realises that they ...  Read the complete review