Charley Varrick – Review

Charley Varrick (Matthau) and his crew of professional hoodlums have targeted a small bank in quiet town Tres Cruces, New Mexico. On heist day, some things go south as the getaway vehicle is clocked by police, and a gunfight breaks out. Both cops and robbers take hits, but Charley and one of his partners Harman Sullivan (Robinson) get away with their loot.

While this is where plenty of movie stories end after a big heist, Charley Varrick is just warming up. Our robbers wind up counting up way more money than a small bank should have, and red flags start flying. Enter hired enforcer Molly (Baker), a ruthless, take no prisoners thug ready to get back missing funds.

As both police and the criminal underworld scrambles towards the bank job gone wrong, Charley and Sullivan are squarely in multiple crosshairs. The plot stays fairly strong throughout, especially with that strong set-up. While it is a movie from the 70s, the pacing is fairly tight, and the directing is strong. The shots are well planned and executed, and the action scenes are exciting when they hit.

The cast is pretty good all-around and is full of familiar faces. Matthau is always good to see, and his character is an interesting mix of intelligent and aloof. The plot really is better than most as far as crime/bank movies, and it remains worth a watch even if a tad slower paced than modern film.