Joe Don Baker plays a relentless and "happy in his job" killer in this film from 1973. (Yes, we are on an early seventies roll right now). Of course, it reminded me of the character in No Country for Old Men, or The Terminator, if we can fault an android for his nature. And, going back, Tommy Udo (Richard Widmark) in Kiss of Death.There are lots of hitmen in recent movies. EW did a story on it not too long ago. But the hitman who really loves his work, like Joe Don Baker did in Charley Varrick is somewhat unusual. Or isn't it? What other ones am I forgetting?
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THE MECHANIC, PRIZZI'S HONOR, arguably DEATH WISH 1-43, certainly entirely too many of the other I Am Vengeance ripoffs...I've yet to see the entirety of CHARLEY VARRICK, and have been meaning to for a while.
Give CV a try. It isn't perfect but it really surprised me at least twice and it had great local color and decent performances. Would you say Jack Nicholson was relentless though. I can't remember--did he get off on it?
I'd say the Kathleen Turner character was and did, but I haven't seen the film in twenty years plus and may be misremembering.
CV looked good and its reputation is sterling.
John Cusack in GROSSE POINT BLANK!
PRIZZI'S HONOR was a great book, BTW.
Funny although it took place (fictitionally) in my hometown, I have little memory of his character. Love JC though. Never read the book but I will. Thanks.
Tom Hanks in Road to Perdition.
Good one, Chuck. That was a pretty scary movie.
Movies aside, I'd go with Josephine's opinion. Read, don't watch, Prizzi's Honor. (Or you can listen to it as a book-on-tape which is what I did, I think.)
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