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June 22, 2009
The Taking of Pelham 123
Directed by: Tony Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, James Gandolfini
Rated: R for violence and pervasive language.
Parental Notes: There's lots of swearing here, and a fair bit of violence. Not suitable for youngsters, but fine for teens and mature preteens, provided the language isn't a problem for you.
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There's a certain delight to a straightforward, well-plotted thriller. "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" has a clever story, engaging heroes, a menacing villain, and very, very little in the way of extraneous material. Everything here is going toward the story or the characters, and the pacing is spot-on. That's no surprise when you see that Brian Helgelend wrote the screenplay, adapting from John Godey's novel of the same name. Helgelend penned the brilliant "L.A. Confidental" screenplay, among others, and he has brought his ear for dialog and knack for top-notch pacing and character development to this new film.
The setup, once all the pieces fall into place, is straightforward: armed men have hijacked a New York subway train and stopped it between stations. Their leader, who calls himself Ryder (John Travolta) is demanding10 million dollars, and threatening to kill a passenger every minute if his deadline isn't met. The man on the other end of the radio is Walter Garber (Denzel Washington), a life-long subway employee who's had some rough times lately. His times are about to get a lot rougher. When hostage negotiator Lt. Camanetti (John Turturro) shows up, Ryder won't talk to him. He likes Garber, feels they're on the same page. Garber has no experience with anything like this, but he's thrust into the position of negotiator for the lives of eighteen of his fellow New Yorkers.
The acting is largely superb. Garber is a complex guy, basically good guy who wants to do what's right but sometimes makes mistakes. Washington makes us believe that he's both a good person at heart and a fallible, imperfect human -- which makes his bravery and efforts to save the hostages all the more admirable. Turturro blends into his character like he always does, but the arc his character gets -- starting out suspicious of Garber and winding up coaching him on the finer points of hostage negotiation -- lets him flex his considerable acting muscles.
Travolta is, well, Travolta, and depending on your tastes he is either the most awesome thing about this film or the weakest link in an otherwise stellar cast. His performance is less a creation of Ryder as a consistent character and more reminiscent of someone doing an over-the-top Travolta impression. There's lots of scenery chewing and posturing, and while it's not as painful as it could be because it more or less fits the dialog Ryder's been given, it's a bit odd when contrasted with the restrained performances by everyone else in the cast.
Still, "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" is a good, solid thriller. There's plenty of tension to go around, and while the ending is a trifle weak, its two hour running time flies by. There's just enough humor to keep it from being unrelentingly dark, and plenty of suspense even after the hostages are out of the picture. If you're looking for a straightforward thrill ride, this film should hit the spot. If you're looking for anything else, though, give "Pelham" a pass.
Posted by Ealasaid at June 22, 2009 01:02 PM
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