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Written by: Walter Hill (screenplay), Jim Thompson (novel)
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Starring: Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, Ben Johnson
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
A recently-released ex-con and his loyal wife go on the run after a heist goes awry.
Verdict
It's a fun story but never as exciting as it should be. Doc is willing to do anything to get out of prison, even robbing a bank. The attempt puts he and his girlfriend on the run, pursued by cops and criminals. The movie is them trying to avoid their pursuers. It often feels like they're going through the motions. This has the elements, but you never feel it from the actors, especially Doc's wife. They have zero chemistry.
It depends.
Review
Doc McCoy (Paul Newman) agrees to a deal that will get him out of prison as he can't handle it anymore. He uses his wife Carol (Ali MacGraw) to make a deal with a parole board member, Beynon. Doc will have to stage a heist for him upon release. Doc scopes out the bank and develops a plan, though it's not like he has much choice. He's paired with two of the Beynon's goons. During the robbery one of the goons shoots a guard, and that really brings the heat. The three split after the robbery, having agreed to meet after the heist at a designated location.
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| Paul Newman, Ali MacGraw play Doc, Carol McCoy |
Doc is already paranoid, but when he shows up at the meet and only one goon is there he has a good idea of what happens next. The plan all along was to get Doc to stage the heist and then take him out. Doc escapes and then meets with Beynon directly and soon discovers that when he asked his wife to do anything to get him out, she had to do just that. Now he resents her for it. They get away from Beynon which only raises their profile.
Doc and his wife are on the run, planning to head to Mexico. Their next stop is a train station where a petty thief swindles Doc's wife out of the bag by switching her locker key. The thief has no idea what he swiped, but Doc tracks him down, making a scene getting it back and alerting the cops. Doc has to escape the cops again.
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| Paul Newman plays Doc McCoy |
Doc is tied to his wife on this journey, who he resents, but he also doesn't let her go. She frequently felt like a prop. She's often the source of drama, but they don't seem to care about each other. Doc doesn't feel any anguish over the fact that she betrayed him and that he's the reason for it. They're only together because the plot demands it.
Meanwhile, one of the goons is tracking Doc in addition to the cops. I began to think they may not make it. I don't mind the story, but it's slow and no one ever seems panicked. The goon's story seems a bit ridiculous. He kidnaps a vet and his wife to patch him up. The goon and wife fall for each other yet drag the vet with them. It's almost comedic in a movie that should maximize tension as we wonder if Doc will get away.
The pace is more a product of the time, but the movie is never as intense as it should be. This is a police chase that's never exciting. The movie lacks action. Even with the finale when everyone closes in on the McCoys, it's still disappointing.
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