Review of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) by Daniel H — 27 Sep 2007

Compared to the usual suspects of heist movies, this movie stands out. It is unique in a genre which does not cater to uncompromised realism, and has influenced numerous films after it, perhaps to the point that "Pelham" is no longer as unique as it was at the time. The film manages also the notoriously tricky task of making a heist without sacrificing realism for stylization and melodrama: this film is as accurate and detailed as one could make it: a plan that is both insane and also one that might have actually worked. The characters and dialog are human, and stereotypically New Yorker. The humor isn't through jokes, but through the portrayal of those stereotypes during the films unusual course of events.

The acting is almost minimalist, (with the exception of the few comic-relief loudmouths.) A worthy urban crime drama for its era, and a classic, but eclipsed by the films which took cues from it.