MovieChat Forums > The Outfit (1974) Discussion > Thoughts on this movie?

Thoughts on this movie?

posted 19 years ago by showstoppa621
23 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this movie on TCM the other night after wanting to for a long time but had the hardest time finding it forever. I thought it was a fairly good watch, had its moments but felt the movites for revenge could have been better than just wanting 250,000. I was expecting to see him exact revenge for his brothers death more than just the money. But all in all it had good moments and was a pretty good watch for me. Anyone have any thoughts or comments to share??? Please do

[–] Howlin Wolf 19 years ago

... and I have to say - I was really disappointed! It just seemed to be trying too hard to be 'hardboiled', and for me it failed miserably, no thanks to some dodgy dialogue and 'suspect' acting... ! (Not from Duvall... ) 2/10.

You're 23 and you spend your days in bed with a girl.. you waste your life!

[–] anyOneHomeMcFly 18 years ago

Dont forget 250 grand was some serous cabbage back in 72 when the novel on which the movie was based.

[–] jona1971 18 years ago

This is in my favourite top 10 movies of all time. For me everything clicks in this film, the acting and casting is spot on and director Flynn keeps everything ticking along just fine. You get the impression the Cody character just will not be defeated, a Dirty Harry of the bad guys. Check out the scene where Duvall and Baker buy a car off some Hillbillies; pure genius. Anyone know why Flynn took 4 years to make another movie, is he still with us?

[–] Irving-Joey 18 years ago

I thought The Outfit was superb.

It has a good gritty feel, lots of violent action, a few laughs, excellent central performances from Robert Duvall and Joe Don Baker, a brutally ice-cold villain in Robert Ryan, and very nice supporting work from reliable character players like Karen Black, Richard Jaeckel and Elisha Cook Jr.

I'd highly recommend The Outfit to any fans of the crime/mob genre. Flynn's follow-up movie Rolling Thunder is even better.

[–] JoeMonco 14 years ago

I loved this movie. One of Flynn's best (up there with ROLLING THUNDER). I wrote an appreciation here:

http://juntajuleil.blogspot.com/2010/05/film-review-outfit-1973-john-f lynn.html

[–] wmjahn 16 years ago

I absolutely agree with "jona1971", THE OUTFIT is one of the best movies ever made, absolutely engrossing, superbly acted, tight and believeable, a wonderful achievement!

Unfortunately it was no success back then and Flynn has meanwhile left us for better worlds, but at least he has left us another great movie, not as good as THE OUTFIT, but superb nevertheless: ROLLING THUNDER. For these 2 movies he will be remembered among movie-buffs forever!

[–] frannywentzel 10 years ago

That $250,000 would be worth $1,373,600.35 today.

[–] sludgehound 18 years ago

Know what they were going for but to me it lacked the kick ass flow of a
Wild Bunch or either Getaway.
The pieces are sorta there. Just didn't pack them together. Lots of chunks
left on the floor. Tries to mix noir, style, twists, and some kind of
delayed suspense.
Maybe it's that sense of seen this, been there.
Even film technique is that of the '70s TV era. Course that was what
Baker was coming out off.
For its day the stark mannerisms worked ok. Now bit draggy. Maybe in another 10 years it will enter a sort of Russ Myers Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! canon.
Can't ever fault blondes against black clothing.
Needed 1/2 hour cuts.
Interesting to see how far media has gotten. One episode of The Closer on
cable can be tighter than this filmm, but nonetheless Closer builds on all
this as does Miami Vice series and the like. Unfortunately bit too much
Dallas creeps in.

[–] btf4u 17 years ago

I thought Baker and Duvall made a great buddy team. Ryan was a bit underused, and Joanna Cassidy seemed to be nothing but eye candy (no arguments there, but she's also a good actress). Overall, I liked the film, but the ending was a HUGE disappointment. It seemed like the filmmakers either ran out of ideas or money.

[–] hydra9 17 years ago

I thought there was great acting from all concerned here. The scene where Duvall slaps Cassidy around the face... then her acting after that... brilliant!

And the ending was incredibly tense. I really liked the way this movie finished.

[–] E_v_o_l 17 years ago

I loved it. I've seen it on TCM many times now. Sadly the director John Flynn died recently. I second the poster who said that Flynn's follow-up movie, Rolling Thunder, is even better and well worth checking out.

[–] rclay-1 17 years ago

Great picture. Wonderfully understated direction, all round good performances, simple but tight story. You don't need 10 minute car chases and never emptying sub machine guns to make a good crime thriller.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] leforcat 16 years ago

Probably the best film in it's genre, perhaps even better than Point Blank and Get Carter. And what a cast!!! Marie Widsor, Sheree North, Joanna Cassidy and Karen Black in ONE and SAME movie?!?! It don't get better than that!
It's a shame there's no DVD.

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[–] Ulzana8 15 years ago

I simply adore it. The cast is superb. The story is tight. And let nobody get fooled that it is 250.000 dollars "Duvall" is after. He is chasing the fairness of life. Nobody is going to short-change him. We all know the feeling.

[–] franzkabuki 15 years ago

Very economic, efficient and to the point. Small film, but very enjoyable if you happen to like this kinda stuff... and Duvall going about his business is always great to look at. Get Carter - and particularly Point Blank - are better though.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] mailljs 14 years ago

i'm a big fan of donald e westlake - parker novels - ax - hook great stuff.movie I haven't read this book but i can tell you three things about the movie (which i just watched),

1. robert duvall is no lee marvin (point blank)

2. duvall is no michael caine (get carter)

3. this movie sucks big time it is nothing but duvall and baker doing robberies and shooting up everyone in sight, waste of time.

[–] jeffscsr 15 years ago

great movie
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[–] intexor 12 years ago

I liked it. And I actually did like he was practical about what his revenge would be. The mob were stupid not to take him up on the offer, so they paid a lot more. Very enjoyable forgotten movie. I really like having channels like TCM and MGM where I can constantly find little gems like this.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] jztzt 12 years ago

The film is too single minded in depicting its action scenes, just like Duvall's character was single minded in exacting his revenge and getting his money. The movie needs deeper insight in its main characters, such as exploring more of the relationship between Duvall and Karen Black. The dialogue between Duvall and Joe Don Baker featured mostly heist plans and small talk, but none of real substance. Instead, the film featured many scenes of them pulling heists and having close calls. Eventually the heists become repetitive and lose their tension because they always get out alive. However, I don't fault any of the performances. I especially enjoyed Duvall. He was convincingly tough and determined. He was just so natural and instinctive. Robert Ryan was also quite ruthless and fierce as the head of The Outfit.

Whereas Sam Peckinpah's Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) had a similar plot, it was character-driven and the relationship between the protagonist and his girlfriend was explored in depth. The protagonist's motives were also closely examined.

[–] WarpedRecord 11 years ago

Excellent points, jztzt! Despite all the star power and tremendous atmosphere here, this film just feels a bit plodding to me. There's very little suspense and even fewer surprises. The problem doesn't lie with the performances, but with the script and the direction. Still, it's worth checking out because of the cast. 6/10 stars from me.

[–] ABetterDay 11 years ago

There was so much junk being made during this era. This film is one of them. No, it's not a good film by any stretch.

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