Just when I’d thought Denzel was taking a break from acting, he resurfaces in one of the most entertaining films of the year.
Directed by one of Hollywood’s heavy hitters, Tony Scott, The Taking of Pelham 123 is an updated and super-charged version of the original 1974 screen adaptation. It’s well-cast, smartly written, fast-paced, and offers plenty of satiric comic relief along the terrorizing subway ride.
John Travolta’s performance is outstanding, and easily among his best work. He’s dazzling in his portrayal of Ryder, the criminal mastermind who abducts 19 hostages on the No. 6 subway train. He’s mesmerizingly mercurial. At times witty and cajoling the audience into laughter, at times ruthlessly and unpredictably dangerous. He is the perfect antithesis to Denzel Washington’s character, Walter Garber, a soft-spoken married father of two who has spent his entire career working for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
The movie hinges on the dynamic relationship between Ryder and Garber, as each man tries to get under the skin of the other. Ryder is an ex-Wall Streeter recently released from prison for embezzlement.
Garber, on the other hand, is being investigated for bribery charges and has recently been demoted from MTA administrator to dispatcher. The mutual respect between the two men and their surprising bond is what ultimately carries this film, adding dimensionality and character.
Tony Scott’s insistence on shooting in the New York City underground versus building a set allows for the subway system to serve as the third character. Scott filmed in the subway for a whole month, the longest and most extensive shoot ever to take place in New York’s subway.
Other notable characters include “Sopranos” star James Gandolfini, who was cast as New York City’s mayor, an independently wealthy individual who has been in the headlines recently as a result of an extramarital affair (this is just one of the many tongue-in-cheek assaults on New York’s leadership). The talented John Turturro plays Lieutenant Vincent Camonetti, head of the New York Police Department’s hostage negotiation team, and the ubiquitous Luis Guzman rounds out the cast in his role as Ryder’s number two.
The Taking of Pelham 123 is an entertaining ride, with fantastic acting, plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments. It’s one of the better action/thrillers I’ve seen this year.
[etRating value=“ 4”]
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