Walter Matthau really sheds his Odd Couple image in Charley Varrick. No laugh track here and no opposite flatmate who is obsessive compulsive.One memorable scene is where hapless bank manager Harold Young (Woodrow Parfrey) is told in no uncertain terms that he's up the creek without paddle because he allowed mob money to be stolen from his branch. What an intense scene, and if there was a deleted scene I would have liked to have seen Harold go on the run to protect his life. Perhaps he could have flown to Hawaii or somewhere in the Yukon.

This 1973 thriller from Don Siegel, faded to obscurity but it is a very entertaining film all the same. Walter Matthau is the character of the film's title and delivers a convincing straight performance. Joe Don Baker is a cruel and sadistic Mafia soldier who is given the task of retrieving stolen money that Matthau has made away with after a bank heist at the beginning. It is a game of "cat and mouse" as Matthau has to use all the tricks of his trade, so as to avoid his Mafia pursuer. Don Siegel rarely reduces the sense of tension and that was the right decision from him. Andy Robinson and John Vernon (both from the masterpiece "Dirty Harry") give excellent support. Don't miss this one!

Just Okay! The good: Walter Matthau, Joe Don Baker, John Vernon etc was an excellent cast. Don Segal is a good director! Baker is type casted, but play a good heavy. Matthau is always a grouchy character, but does it well. Segal makes the story was easy and interesting to follow. What did not work: The story was okay but does not age well. Very by the number template story line of heist/criminal movies. Ending was anti climatic, but with a surprise. The 1970's type cast movies, with overly flat characters tough guy lose women etc. Dated movie, but ages well. Still watchable. I give Charley Varrick a 6 out of 10. Good one to watch on Turner Classic movies.

First off this is an anti-hero movie--if you need the good guys to win, this is not really your movie. This movie could be described as a more clever but less slick Quentin Tarantino film. I put this on because I had some friends over with their kids and the kids had seen everything new. I thought that an older, quality movie starring Walter Matthau (who they had never even heard of) might hold their attention, and it succeeded very well. I'm not the hardest grader, and if a movie simply leaves me with no regrets its already on its way to high marks from me. The production values of this film obviously don't match today's, and, of all of the performers, only Matthau's acting holds up well in hindsight. Strange as it sounds though, the dated performances of the other actors just added to the '70s atmosphere of the film, which made for terrific nostalgia for me. This is really a case of "they don't make them like they used to", and it's really too bad. Might be time to go back and watch some old Colombo episodes.