Revolver (1973)
7/10
"I'll shoot your legs off... and I'll be within my rights!"
17 January 2024
A promising, clever premise of a prison warden, played by genuine bad-ass Oliver Reed, who surreptitiously allows a prisoner to escape before abducting him in exchange for his (own) kidnapped wife... occurring between steely, intentionally claustrophobic scenes in dingy offices harboring dingier jail sells... almost succeeds...

The best moments of this action/thriller hybrid involves polar opposites Reed ("a stray dog without a home") and prisoner Fabio Testi on the run... in the latter's rogue territory...

Petty thief Testi teaching strict/timid lawman Reed to steal a car is a standout, and there needed more of this kind of Film Noir-inspired ambiguity combined with the European tough guy team-up (although their roles should be reversed) instead of a subpar subplot involving a pretty boy musician connected to a powerful politician...

Leading to an 11th hour escape by use of hiking across a mountain border and yet, despite the flaws, Italian ingenue Paola Pitagora brightens up the joint while Reed, using the same American Classic Gangster accent he had in an episode of THE SAINT (and that he often does as a satirical impression), doesn't need to overact to show the audience his love for this woman...

Any sane man would because, in REVOLVER, Paola's both a knockout and standout.
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