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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Unlike the Region 1 release this is a terrific widescreen transfer of this great Don Siegel thriller.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
What with the Watergate scandal slowly unfolding and the disastrous war in Vietnam winding down, the early 70s was a time of insecurity and mistrust in the US and Hollywood reflected this climate with a series of bleak and amoral chase thrillers such as The Getaway, The Outfit, and this gem from director Don Siegel, Charley Varrick.
Walter Matthau slips easily into serious mode for one of his most pleasing performances as the former stunt flyer and crop duster who along with his wife and a couple of hoods has turned to small-time bank robbery to make ends meet. But when the team hit the jackpot after a raid on a rural New Mexico bank, Charley realizes that such a large sum of cash sitting in such a small bank can only mean one thing, Mafia money, and the wise guys want it back.
Charley Varrick is a taut and engrossing thriller that never outstays its welcome and is one of the best offerings from the period. This is no deep character study but rather a film in which the chase is everything, and it's more than enough. Backed by a host of familiar faces from the time - notably Joe Don Baker as smiling psycho hit-man Molly - Walter Matthau is ever engaging and with a dry wit that makes his gruff character never less than sympathetic. With some bright Nevada locations, a typically offbeat soundtrack by the ubiquitous Lalo Schifrin and a few exciting set-pieces to augment the drama of the chase, Charley Varrick is an essential addition to the collection of every 70s film fan and is highly recommended.
This is a basic DVD package with only scene selection and a stills gallery for extras, though the crisp print-transfer presented with a very watchable aspect ratio of 16:9 is more than adequate for the price.
Walter Matthau slips easily into serious mode for one of his most pleasing performances as the former stunt flyer and crop duster who along with his wife and a couple of hoods has turned to small-time bank robbery to make ends meet. But when the team hit the jackpot after a raid on a rural New Mexico bank, Charley realizes that such a large sum of cash sitting in such a small bank can only mean one thing, Mafia money, and the wise guys want it back.
Charley Varrick is a taut and engrossing thriller that never outstays its welcome and is one of the best offerings from the period. This is no deep character study but rather a film in which the chase is everything, and it's more than enough. Backed by a host of familiar faces from the time - notably Joe Don Baker as smiling psycho hit-man Molly - Walter Matthau is ever engaging and with a dry wit that makes his gruff character never less than sympathetic. With some bright Nevada locations, a typically offbeat soundtrack by the ubiquitous Lalo Schifrin and a few exciting set-pieces to augment the drama of the chase, Charley Varrick is an essential addition to the collection of every 70s film fan and is highly recommended.
This is a basic DVD package with only scene selection and a stills gallery for extras, though the crisp print-transfer presented with a very watchable aspect ratio of 16:9 is more than adequate for the price.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film has obviously influenced later works at least up to the 1990s and could arguably be described as a milestone. There is somewhat unusually much violence for the early 70s, but - hey folks,it's a Don Siegel movie!
What I like best next to suspense and an interesting storyline full of suprises is Walter Matthau acting one of his few unfunny parts. He is Charley Varrick, an independent criminal and one of the very few professionals in a world in which by far most outlaws are rather imbeciles or psychos than professionals. Varrick knows most of the time what to do and even more important what not to do and with his indestructible will to survive he even manages to trick the Mafia. Are there many Outlaws that shrewd and cold-blooded in the real world? Let's hope not.
P.S.: Subtitles would have been slightly nicer for non-native speakers.
What I like best next to suspense and an interesting storyline full of suprises is Walter Matthau acting one of his few unfunny parts. He is Charley Varrick, an independent criminal and one of the very few professionals in a world in which by far most outlaws are rather imbeciles or psychos than professionals. Varrick knows most of the time what to do and even more important what not to do and with his indestructible will to survive he even manages to trick the Mafia. Are there many Outlaws that shrewd and cold-blooded in the real world? Let's hope not.
P.S.: Subtitles would have been slightly nicer for non-native speakers.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
For Dirty Harry lovers
If you love Don Siegel's DIRTY HARRY, Charlie Varrick was his follow-up film with an intriguing performance from Walter Matthau as a bank robber expecting a small haul from a... Read more
Published 4 months ago by RobertoGreenPoint
A really good film
Although now nearly 40 years old, this is still a good thriller and a worthy addition to any video library. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Aremess
Great Performances And A Great Plot From Donald Siegal
"Charley Varrick" is a great first class crime thriller which is directed by Donald Siegal, who is probably best remembered for directing the classic "Dirty Harry". Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mrs. Marilyn A. Rice
STILL NOT THE CORRECT ASPECT RATIO!
I ordered Charley Varrick on region 2 dvd, which is a brilliant film, (it was the first time I had seen it). Read more
Published 12 months ago by Graham
Marvellous Matthau
Now rather a period piece but still a very exciting piece of film making by the masterly Don Siegel. Read more
Published 14 months ago by S. M. T. Peters
Pure Class!
I have always loved this 'gem' of a movie, but struggled to find it on Region 2 format DVD, so was delighted when I spotted this. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Wayne B
PERSONAL FAVE
3 words for all u lovers of film:)BUY THIS DVD,BUY THIS DVD,BUY THIS DVD;) HAHAHA in my view (next 2 PELHAM 123) this is Walter Matthau's best performance's along with a great... Read more
Published 19 months ago by gspot82
Oozes the 1970's
Racism, sexism and you can buy dynamite across the counter - yes, this is 1970's America, and that is probably the best thing about this film: the OTT characters, music, cars and... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mr. Ross Maynard
Charley comes a cropper
A realy enjoyable quality film completely falsified by the character of the actor, Walter Matthau. This is a bad man, folks. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Chris
A very efficient thriller
"Charley Varrick" is a very efficient thriller which is a masterpiece from the point of view of cutting. The script is good, with many twists along the road. Read more
Published on 3 May 2010 by Oliver W. Holmes
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