19 February 2014

The Taking of Pelham 123, 2009 - ★★★


It would seem that the original Taking Of Pelham One Two Three is held in high regard by quite a lot of (American?) people. It was a film I'd never heard of before the remake but the love of the original helps explain some of the bad reception Tony Scott's version received upon release. Both versions are fine and although there are many flaws with the remake (Travolta is OTT and distracting, the ending tails off) it's still an enjoyable ride. In the past I took Tony Scott's distinctive style for granted, probably even dismissing it, but there's a lot to be said for how great things look even in this average film; it's a shame we'll never see him direct another great film. Similarly with Gandolfini, before his death his role as "Mayor Gandolfini" was just more or the same and now it serves as another reminder just how great a screen presence he always was.


February 19, 2014 at 06:42PM

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