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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Coming Up In Film Got a film event you want listed? Email reviewer@ealasaid.com with details. JUNE * June 18, 7:30pm at Camera 3: Thrillville, a tribute to the late Bob Wilkins and Bob Show of the local TV show “Creature Features.” See www.cameracinemas.com/specialevents.shtml for details. * June 19 & 20, midnight: “Repo! The Genetic Opera” at Camera 7 (Friday) and Camera 12 (Saturday). This rock opera is not for the faint of heart, but for fans of horror movies and rock music it’s a must-see. Stellar cast includes Alexa Vega and Anthony Stewart Head. See www.cameracinemas.com/midnight.shtml for details. * June 21 (11am) & 24 (7pm) at Camera 7: Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” performed at Palar de les Arts “Reine Sofia” Valencia, Spain. See www.cameracinemas.com/operas.shtml for details. * June 26 & 27, midnight: “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” at Camera 7 (Friday) and Camera 12 (Saturday). See www.cameracinemas.com/midnight.shtml for details. JULY * July 3, midnight at Camera 7: “Clerks.” See www.cameracinemas.com/midnight.shtml for details. * July 9, 7:30pm at Camera 3: Thrillville presents a Sugar ‘n’ Spice Grindhouse Double Feature, featuring the 1970s women in prison classic, “Sugar Boxx,” and Antonello Giallo’s 1980s Italian cannibal gorefest, “Isle of the Damned.” See www.cameracinemas.com/specialevents.shtml for details. * July 9, 8pm at local theaters: “Forever Plaid.” See www.fathomevents.com for details. * July 10 & 11, midnight: “Ghost Busters” at Camera 7 (Friday) and Camera 12 (Saturday). See www.cameracinemas.com/midnight.shtml for details. * July 12 (11am) & 15 (7pm) at Camera 7: Rossini’s “Il Viaggio a Reims” as performed at La Scala Opera House, Milan. In Italian, with English subtitles. See www.cameracinemas.com/operas.shtml for details. * July 17 & 18, midnight: “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” at Camera 7 (Friday) and Camera 12 (Saturday). See www.cameracinemas.com/midnight.shtml for details. * July 26 (11am) & 29 (7pm) at Camera 7: Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” as performed by the Bolshoi Opera Company at Opera de Paris. See www.cameracinemas.com/operas.shtml for details. |
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.