The Taking of Pelham 123

The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) – on rental. There are actor pairings that are so potentially explosive that when they’re in films together, you don’t mind as much flaws elsewhere, whether it’s in cinematography of if the story strings together too conveniently story contrivances.

One such lethal pairing that sticks in people’s minds are Robert De Niro and Al Pacino’s roles of master thief and investigating detective in Michael Mann’s Heat from nearly 13 years ago. While the two of them shared just about 10 minutes of screen time together in a scene where they calmly discuss their agendas against each other, that one scene feels like watching two forces of nature go at each other.

The Taking of Pelham 123 is another such film. In the lead are two actors known for dramatic roles or just their ability to dominate the screen.

The film stars Denzel Washington, and John Travolta. Washington plays Garber, a desk-bound train dispatcher for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. For him, it’s another day at the office, until Bernard Ryder (Travolta) shows up with several of his goons, hijacks a train, and demands compensation payment of $10 million dollars in an hour, with a hostage executed every minute past that deadline.

The director of the film is Tony Scott, younger brother of the more famous Ridley Scott of some of my most favorite films (including Body of Lies and Kingdom of Heaven). The younger sibling’s fare aren’t usually as sophisticated, and they are typically centered on crowd pleasing action-thriller pieces with quick camera cuts and strong lead actors. Tony Scott’s output as included Crimson Tide, Déjà Vu, and Man on Fire – and would you have guessed, all also starring Denzel Washington.

The film itself wisely knows its strengths – the casting of two great leads – and  plays up on it. While the Pelham itself isn’t too long at under 2 hours, by my best guestimate at least half that film length is spent on lengthy dialog conversations between Garber and Ryder as the two play mind games and try to get each other’s measure.

What’s especially refreshing too is that Washington is playing a different role that the sort he normally is in. He’s a slightly obese family man here, unassuming, prefers to keep a low-profile but is unwillingly dragged into the hostage negotiation. Quite different from the other Scott-collaborations where he’s the take-charge man. Travolta isn’t different from his other roles as sneering villain, and he’s done so many already: in Swordfish, Face/Off,  and The Punisher.

Where the film didn’t work though is in nearly every other aspect. Camera work is frenetic with a lot of quick cuts and shaky-cam movement that’s migraine-inducing. CG work in a couple of spots are too obvious. Ryder’s three minions are largely faceless and with the exception of one goon, are just sort of in the film as background filler with little to do except glower at the hostages and fire their weapons.

And there’s plenty of absurd plot elements, the most grievous one being one hostage’s web-cam equipped notebook. His interactions with his girlfriend through it are so cringe-inducing that you’d wish he’d be the first hostage to get executed just so the audience can be spared off his smoochy-lovey talk with his squeeze.

So, on the overall, a watchable thriller that you’ll want to see especially if great scenes between two strong actors are your thing. Just a pity the rest of the film’s pretty bleh.