Charley Varrick Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Charley Varrick Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 13, 2019

Don Siegel's "Charlie Varrick" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; Robert Fischer's documentary "Last of the Independents: The Making of Charley Varrick"; new video essay by critic Howard S. Berger; new audio commentary by critic Toby Roan; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Nick Pinkerton and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

It would have been perfect if Don Siegel had kept the original title for this film, The Last of the Independents, because there is no doubt now that at the time he knew where the industry was heading. It really was only a matter of time before a film like Jaws changed everything.

In a sleepy town in New Mexico, a trio of robbers hit a small bank but only two of them get away with the loot, Charley Varrick (Walther Matthau) and Harman Sullivan (Andy Robinson). A few hours after they count the money, however, Charley realizes that they are not as lucky as they had assumed because there is too much money in their bags that most likely belongs to the mafia. While the local authorities begin investigating the robbery, Charley is proven right and a crooked banker sends sadistic mafia hitman Molly (a superb Joe Don Baker) to recover the money.

At first, it seems like tracking down Charley and his partner would be just another standard job for Molly, but when the retired stunt pilot-turned-robber evades him with a few nifty moves the gorilla gets seriously upset. Meanwhile, Harman, who does not appreciate Charley’s working methods, threatens to pocket his share and try his luck alone in a different part of the country.

Matthau left an incredible legacy of films and the general consensus appears to be that he was at his very best when he played conventional funny characters like the ones seen in The Odd Couple and A New Leaf, but this writer believes that his most refined performance was actually in this edgy crime thriller. The casual manner in which Matthau switches between being an intelligent robber and a sleek player with an endless bag of tricks is just incredibly entertaining to behold, and the best part is that it actually has this contagious effect on the rest of the actors and as a result they also do a lot of brilliant little things that ultimately make the film special.

But it is Siegel’s direction that gives the film its unique identity because it allows its story to flourish with that unmistakable pure energy that all of his famous films are known for. Indeed, despite the almost documentary-like type of fluidity the action has a hidden very consistent rhythm that makes every single sequence look essential. This is classic Siegel. (Do a direct comparison with any similarly themed action film from the ‘80s and ‘90s and you will instantly recognize how they have multiple sequences that stick out like sore thumbs because they are nothing more than show-off pieces. In Siegel’s films the action always emerges as a natural element of a meaningful process that occurs as part of a special journey).

A predictably brilliant score from the legendary Lalo Schifrin (Dirty Harry) mixes cool jazzy harmonies with exotic rhythms and provides the film with a superb ‘70s vibe.

Charley Varrick Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Charlie Varrick arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K remaster that offers a much needed upgrade in quality over the old master that Indicator/Powerhouse Films used to prepare this Region-B release in 2018. The difference in quality is substantial and the improvements can be observed in all major areas that we typically scrutinize in our reviews. For example, the new remaster eliminates all of the distracting sharpening and smearing that the the old master struggles with. As a result, close-ups and panoramic shots now convey all sorts of different organic nuances. Background detail is also improved, and the daylight footage in particular boasts excellent depth. Grain exposure is vastly superior as well. The improvement has an impact on depth, delineation, and fluidity. In fact, if you wish to understand just how important organic fluidity is for the overall strength on a proper remaster, compare how smoothly the visuals flow on the new remaster with the movement of the blocky and smeary visuals on the old master -- it is almost as if most of the time the old master produces images that are stuttering, which makes viewing it on a larger screen quite the annoying experience. The color grading is very good. The primaries are healthy and very nicely saturated, and as you can see from the screencaptures that we have provided with our review the entire film now has much better ranges of organic nuances. Image stability is excellent, though I should mention that there are a few areas with obvious density fluctuations and a couple look slightly dated. However, these are not newly introduced 'issues'; they are part of the original cinematography. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Charley Varrick Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I thought that the lossless track is on the old master was very strong, but I did some direct comparisons with the new remaster to see if I would spot any differences to report. I tested primarily the action footage at the very end where Walther Matthau operates the plane, but I could not hear anything to report in our review. Also, there are no encoding anomalies to report.

Charley Varrick Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Last of the Independents: The Making of Charley Varrick - this documentary takes a closer look at the evolution of Don Siegel's career and style as well as the production history of Charley Varrick. There are also some very interesting comments about Walter Matthau and his notorious gambling problems, and how they actually profoundly altered his acting career. Included in are clips from recent interviews with actors Andrew Robinson, Jacqueline Scott, and Craig R. Baxley, screenwriter Howard A. Rodman, composer Lalo Schifrin, and Don Siegel's son, Kristoffer Tabori. The documentary was produced by Robert Fischer for Fiction Factory in 2015. In English. (76 min, 1080p).

• Refracted Personae - in this new video essay, critic Howard S. Berger examines the evolution of Don Siegel's cinematic style and deconstructs Charley Varrick. In English, not subtitled. (36 min, 1080p).

• Trailers From Hell - in this archival episode of Trailers From Hell, screenwriters Josh Olson and Howard Rodman quickly discuss their love for Charley Varrick and the impact the film had on them some years ago. In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, critic Toby Roan, a big fan of Charley Varrick, discusses in great detail the main locations in Nevada where the film was shot, the visual style and tone of the film, Don Siegel's direction, the careers of the principal -- and quite a few supporting -- actors, the fact that there are hardly any 'good' guys in the film, etc.

• Trailer - a vintage U.S. trailer for Charley Varrick. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 480/60i).

• TV Spots - a couple of vintage TV spots for Charley Varrick. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - 8-page illustrated booklet featuring critic Nick Pinkerton's essay "Charley Varrick: The Last of the Independents" and technical credits.

• Additional Trailers - additional trailers for the following releases from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. The Laughing Policeman
  2. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
  3. Madigan
  4. The Black Windmill

Charley Varrick Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This cult crime thriller from director Don Siegel will only get bigger as time passes because it effectively promotes all of the great qualities American films had before Jaws and Star Wars. Walther Matthau also gives one of those truly special performances that once witnessed are never forgotten. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K remaster that should make fans of the film beyond ecstatic -- it is done right and looks gorgeous. So, the folks at Kino Lorber deserve an enormous amount of credit because their release was almost certainly the last opportunity to get the film to look as it should. Thank you. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.