After a man is released from prison after ten years for taking the rap
for a mobster, he cashes in a debt with the mob to bankroll a heist. ACTION/CRIME
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The Anderson Tapes (1971)Directed by Sidney Lumet
Written by Frank Pierson Starring Sean Connery, Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam, Ralph Meeker, Alan King, Christopher Walken Based on the novel by Lawrence Sanders |
Sidney Lumet has a long filmography that is highly respected and has been awarded numerous times. He’s no longer with us but his legacy lives on and I’ll keep watching his stuff because it’s usually pretty damn good content. The Anderson Tapes is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Lawrence Sanders. It’s well ahead of its time, as it is looked at as the first major film to focus on the pervasiveness of electronic surveillance. Needless to say, it’s fucking timeless because films that capture the paranoia of watching and being watched are always going to be relevant as technology reminds us how quickly it advances.
Duke Anderson is released from prison after a ten year sentence and he immediately rekindles his relationship with his old girlfriend Ingrid once he’s back in the real world. Ingrid lives in a fancy apartment building in Manhattan which Duke sees as a place to rob right away. He seeks funding from a mafia boss and assembles a team to do the robbery. While all of this is happening, multiple surveillance teams both private and public are tracking every single move that Duke and his team of criminals are making. This leads to one of the most intense robbery scenes of all time with all eyes watching, but no one on the same page. The Anderson Tapes is a very intense and exciting film with an extremely wild ending. I love how the planning of the robbery is totally captured in multiple scenarios and mindsets. Sean Connery delivers my favorite performance of his career as Duke Anderson and Christopher fucking Walken made his film debut as one of his crew members. His hair is super long, he’s electric every moment he is on the screen, and the career that followed is absolutely dynamite. Quincy Jones provides the score which is 100% its own character in The Anderson Tapes as we are sucked into a world of surveillance. I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes high-octane storytelling. |