My companion saw the 1974 original film adaptation of John Goday’s novel, remade here by Serious Director Tony Scott, and he reported that the original was just not this serious in tone. At the time, I couldn’t imagine a movie taking itself more seriously; the more I thought about it, though, the less serious it was possible for this movie to be. Scott takes what is really, as caper adventure movies go, a small-scale crime, and turns it into a super-intense warlike movie, with implied conspiracies and unnecessarily unsavory side stories. Also, his second unit director was shooting a very different movie, one that is modern and grainy and jittery and sexy, a rock video urban war documentary cut scene. The editing of visuals and sound and effects are so tight and sexy as to feel weird and out of place — they are trying to be intense, but the overall effect seems to be getting in the way of the real, two-person movie. By this I mean the conversation between complicated-backstory dispatcher Denzel Washington and overtly-scary unlikely-backstory John Travolta. Why can’t these guys just be a regular working joe and a scary criminal dude? I can enjoy Travolta when he’s being a tough guy, and Washington is good at being supereveryman, but together they really do snap crackle and pop when the movie isn’t trying to make sure it’s still exciting.
Travolta’s character looks like a cartoon of a Scary Guy, and all his actions are so irrational and unrealistic, it’s hard not to tell the snipers in your head to fire at will. He’s committed and proves it, but he’s still pretty unstable and an easy target not taken. Washington is burdened with a Past and an unintentionally hilarious tool of a boss (While You Were Sleeping’s Michael Rispoli), and an almost-comedic confederate, hostage negotiator John Turturro. No one knows what they are doing, but somehow it’s all coming together. Like so many dramas these days (television and film), the machinery of Getting Things Done is oiled and ready, crossing midtown traffic in a trice and generating bags of cash in less time than that. In real life, even with everyone in the same room, it can take 20 minutes to have 5 people sign the same piece of paper. Criminals seem to know this and make insane demands, and no one even stops to blink. It’s annoying.
In the moment, it all feels very dangerous and urgent and important, but in retrospect it seems almost silly. It still was taking itself very seriously. Yes, there are fatalities and mostly grim expressions, but the movie never feels like it could actuallyt take place, never exudes a sense of reality to keep our adrenaline pumped. Washington’s wife’s last words to him (spoiled by the preview) before he goes, untrained and unable, into mortal danger, couldn’t be meant for anything but a comedy. They completely deflate the tension and our concern for hero Washington. What is The Taking of Pelham 123 meant to be? Drama? Spoof? It succeeds and fails at both at the same time.
MPAA Rating R – violence and pervasive language.
Release date 6/12/09
Time in minutes 121
Director Tony Scott
Studio Columbia Pictures