Charley Varrick
Director: Don Siegel
Year Released: 1973
Rating: 3.0
After a bank robber (Walter Matthau) and his friends rob a bank of ¾ of a million dollars, he discovers that the money was actually from the Mob, and that they aren't exactly happy it's gone. For being a cat-and-mouse/heist-gone-wrong kind of movie, it's relaxed in terms of pacing but never less than involving - Matthau and his perpetual sneer and sarcastic delivery always worked well on the screen, be it in comedies or dramas. Smart writing keeps the twists fresh - and Siegel knows how to smack up cars - despite the occasional odd diversion (an out of place romance between Matthau and a secretary, for one) and an irritating 70's soundtrack.
