Charley Varrick: Walter Matthau is surprisingly good (for those used to his grumpy comedic roles) as the title character in this solid, taut film. The plot is not novel, but it unfurls in such a way that the characters have time to be showcased, even if a bit; it’s also very earnest with the brutality of the world they live in. Don Siegel was economical, also, in the way he had the movie shot; the long takes aren’t there to call attention to themselves, but to let the scene run without unneeded punctuation.