Member review

The Taking of Pelham 123 is a fascinating artefact of the 1970s. It really typifies it's time period but veers away from following the formula of a generic 'Crim V Cop' thriller with an surprisingly inventive and witty script that manages to make discreet comments on the nature of society and law enforcement at that time. I was surprised by how gritty and intelligent it was, brilliantly filmed and surprisingly realistic. At first, one would guess that The Taking of Pelham 123 would only be campy entertainment but I was proved wrong. The thrills never obstruct a sense of gritty realism and Matthau was cast perfectly, never trying to be a 'macho' cop who bestows upon the crime world of LA his own brand of justice. No, Joseph Sargent and Matthau clearly intended for the character to stay well within the boundaries of his age group and subsequently created a thoroughly believable man. I must admit, the obscure ending left me somewhat baffled but at the same time truly satisfied because nothing was completely resolved (We all see this too much in the film industry nowadays). It's packed with wonderful little details, and Sargent had a real eye for what was 'fun' and what was truly suspenseful and realistically rough. It's firmly embedded in the greatest hostage/heist films made and far superior to Tony 'Blow 'em Up' Scott's irritating and unnecessary remake. Filled with cynical humour and a subtle theme of urban paranoia The Taking of Pelham 123 remains a tense and exciting film, quite possibly an essential one.