Who Plays Who?

Denzel Washington John Travolta Luis Guzmán Victor Gojcaj John Turturro James Gandolfini Michael Rispoli Ramon Rodriguez Saidah Arrika Ekulona John Benjamin Hickey Alex Kaluzhsky Gbenga Akinnagbe Katherine Sigismund Jake Siciliano Gary Basaraba Sean Meehan Tonye Patano Aunjanue Ellis Anthony Annarumma Jason Butler Harner J. Bernard Calloway

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Walter Garber Ryder Phil Ramos Bashkim Camonetti Mayor John Johnson Delgado Dispatcher One Deputy Mayor LaSalle George Wallace Mom 8yo Boy Jerry Pollard (Motorman) Undercover Cop Regina (Conductor) Therese (Garber's Wife) 'Q' Train Motorman Mr Thomas Officer Moran/NYPD Liaison

What Do The Critics Say

"With his goatee and fake tattoos, it's safe to say you've never seen Travolta quite like this before. He's hardcore, and it works. As for Washington, he infuses this fine thriller with the kind of humanity it needs to ground it. The brisk new Tony Scott thriller, "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," is a remake of the 1974 original and like that film, it takes place mostly in the bowels of New York City, specifically its subway system, which long has carried its share of baggage, particularly in the wake of 9-11." Christopher Smith BANGOR DAILY NEWS "Tony Scott has made a film that, for sheer fun and breathless tension, leaves the other actioners parked in the sidings." David Edwards UK DAILY MIRROR "Scott has updated the setting, but, more significantly, he's refashioned things in tone, style and theme, deftly recasting it to fit the standard template of the contemporary Hollywood action film." Andy Klein BRAND X "Tony Scott pushes all the right buttons, crafting a worthy: and in many ways, a superior; update." Mike Scott TIMES-PICAYUNE "We've been waiting too long for a sharp little urban thriller with a couple of tense scenes and one fine, bold performance. Given the time, we'll grab this express train, happily." Stephen Whitty NEWARK STAR-LEDGER "It is all about star power and screen charisma with Washington and Travolta making formidable adversaries, whether on screen together or at opposing ends of the microphone. Coupled with slick editing and Harry Gregson-Williams' outstanding score and soundscape, it all makes for an exciting trip right until the climactic scene on the Manhattan bridge when truth and lies finally meet their match." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE

"The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is a classy updating of the original, strong on pace and atmosphere, with Travolta and Washington making a great doubleact. This time round we have a snarling, goateed and tattooed Travolta as the financial wiz turned bloodthirsty villain and the perfectly cast Washington as the genial working-guy thrust into a dangerous limelight. Here are two top-notch performers who know how to grab screen attention and keep you intrigued." Mark Adams UK SUNDAY MIRROR "Head-bangingly hyperactive as ever, action maestro Tony Scott appears to have upped his caffeine intake for this unexpectedly entertaining remake of the much-admired 70s suspense thriller The Taking of Pelham 123, an inspiration for Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. John Travolta, performing as usual with fiercely compressed lips and flared nostrils indicating permanent macho disgust, plays Ryder" Peter Bradshaw UK GUARDIAN "Washington demonstrates his really remarkable ability to make us forget he’s a movie star and completely believe he’s a flawed but noble civil servant." Ben Mankiewicz AT THE MOVIES "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 has all the usual virtues of a good action suspense drama." Mick LaSalle SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE "The story unfolds with satisfying complexities: but retains full clarity, with each new piece of information adding to the tension; and the already high stakes. John Travolta is in top form as the near-psychotic Ryder with a grudge to settle and Denzel Washington provides a complete contrast as Garber, the man caught in an impossible situation. Both actors deliver the necessary wattage in this well crafted thriller and Turturro makes a memorable appearance as the official hostage negotiator given the flick during Ryder's tactical game." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE

The Inside Story Director Tony Scott (brother of David di Donatello Award winner Sir Ridley Scott) frames the hijacking of a subway train and the subsequent standoff between cops and crooks as a terrifying cat-and-mouse game, pitting an ordinary, overburdened train dispatcher, played by Denzel Washington, against a mercurial vengeful killer portrayed by John Travolta in the new action thriller "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3". "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" began life as a bestselling novel by John Godey. The book’s central puzzle kept readers guessing. Who would rob a subway train? You’d have to be crazy: the subway is a closed system. Even if you get the money, there’s nowhere to escape. The novel was first adapted for the screen in 1974, starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, and today remains a cult classic. The filmmakers approached the new adaptation not as a remake of the classic film, which they felt stands on its own. Instead, they returned to the novel, retelling the story as a highly contemporary thriller and reinventing it for a modern-day New York. "It’s a great story, yet unknown to new generations of filmgoers," Emmy winner Scott (TV'S "The Gathering Storm") says. "The world, and New York City in particular, has changed a lot since 1974." Two time Golden Apple 'Male Star of the Year' Award winner John Travolta (1978 & '98) says that though the new film has some of the same elements as the first adaptation, the new film is "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 on steroids: very intense, very hyped up, and very contemporary." "I’ve always liked stories where people are put in extreme circumstances, and you see how they respond when things go wrong," says Oscar ® winning screen writer Helgeland ("L.A. Confidential"). Helgeland approached two time Stanley Kramer Award winner Todd Black ("Antwone Fisher" & "The Great Debaters"), the producer for whom he had written and directed 2001's "A Knight’s Tale". "We watched the movie again and realized what a fun story it was," Black ("The Pursuit of Happyness' & "Knowing") recalls. "It felt right not for a remaking, but a retelling." That retelling would set the film apart from the earlier adaptation in crucial ways. "I was interested in developing much more of a relationship between the dispatcher and the hijacker," says Helgeland. "I felt neither the novel nor the original movie really forced Garber and Ryder to crawl under each other’s skin to figure each other out." The films two main characters, Garber (Denzel Washington) and Ryder (John Travolta) are as opposed as the worlds they inhabit. "Garber works for MTA NYC Transit, above ground, and when we researched it, we found it was very high-tech, like NASA," says Scott (who directed Denzel Washington in the smash-hit, "Man on Fire"). "I took that world, the quiet and cleanliness and high tech quality of the MTA, and balanced that with the darkness and grittiness and bowels of New York in the subways." Scott believed there was only one way to achieve his vision. "Tony felt very strongly about shooting the real tunnels when we decided to make this movie," Executive producer Barry Waldman ("Batman & Robin" & TV'S "The Adventures of Superboy") remembers. "He wanted the sound and the fright of being in and around moving trains, for the subway to become a third character after Denzel and John. Usually people build sets and try to reconstruct it on a stage instead, but there’s nothing like capturing reality. It’s difficult, it’s dirty, but it’s exciting. It’s a challenge, and I always love a challenge." And a challenge it was; with temperatures above ground hitting 100 degrees fahrenheit and below ground even hotter. Scott ended up filming in the subway for four weeks. In fact, it ended up being the longest and most extensive shoot ever in New York’s subway. The production was granted access to areas NYC Transit had never before allowed a film crew, including the makers of the original Pelham. Shooting in the tunnels can be a harrowing experience, with 400 tons of train roaring past only inches away, while the train’s 'third rail shoes' (or electrical conductors), speed by even closer, with 600 volts of electricity coursing through them. "You don’t realize how big the trains are when you’re on the platform," two time Oscar ® winning actor Denzel Washington ("Glory" & "Training Day") explained. "But when you’re down on the tracks, those things are monsters, rolling at 40 to 50 miles an hour (64 to 80 kph). The wind can whip you around, so you’ve got to brace yourself." NYC Transit officials kept close watch to ensure safety; still, actors and crew were forewarned, as is every individual who enters the tunnels, that trains could come on any track, at any moment, and from any direction… and everyone should always assume the third rail is live at all times. From the first moment the filmmakers began to consider a new adaptation of "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3", they had one name in mind for their leading man. "Only an actor like Denzel Washington, with his powerful screen presence and immense talent, could make such an ordinary character in an ordinary desk job so compelling to watch," Helgeland says. It didn't hurt that Washington had a long history with Scott, starring in three of the director’s films, "Déjà Vu", "Man on Fire", and "Crimson Tide". "He’s the best, he has a good heart," four time Black Reel Award winner Washington says about Scott. "Tony works harder than anybody, so whenever he calls I come running." Washington also had a strong professional relationship with the screenwriter and the producer who courted him. Helgeland had written "Man on Fire" that starred Washington, while Black produced the actor’s two acclaimed directorial efforts, "Antwone Fisher" and "The Great Debaters". Washington was eager to work with Black again. "Todd Black knows what he’s doing," says Washington. "He’s the consummate professional producer, one of the biggest in Hollywood." Scott was impressed by Washington’s take on the character. "He was looking for something different. We found the difference in simplicity. Denzel plays Garber as the 'Everyman', the guy next door, in a very honest way, and it’s the perfect counterpoint to John Travolta’s angry character." "It’s compelling to watch how someone who has no experience reacts when the phone rings and a killer is on the other end," Helgeland adds. For the role, Washington talked to veteran subway workers, including one who just retired after sixty years. He also befriended Joseph Jackson, a train dispatcher in the Rail Control Center. Like Washington’s character, Jackson began his career driving a subway train. Responsible each day for the safety of the five million passengers that traverse an underground system as large as the city itself, a dispatcher’s most critical skill is staying cool during an emergency. "Passengers tend to get panicky, especially in the tunnels," says Jackson (who also served as a technical advisor on the film). "Plus, there are only two crew members aboard each train to help. You don’t want people trying to get off the trains in between stations." In a sense, Washington had spent many years preparing for the role. "I grew up in New York and I took the 2 train from 241st and White Plains Road every day. When I was a kid, I’d go between cars, between stations, sneak down the side of the train. You never went too far." The list of actors who could hold their own opposite Washington’s dynamic screen presence was short. The role of Ryder required an actor who could make the character larger than life. John Travolta fitted the bill. "When you give him a truly imposing role, Travolta knows how to pump a color and energy into it that I think no other actor can," Black says. In a strange twist the two actors didn't see each other for some time. "For the first six weeks, I didn’t even see John "We were both on set, but I was in one room and he was in another," says Washington. Scott and his team researched prison culture, which influenced Ryder’s closely cropped hair, handlebar mustache, and tattooed neck. While imprisoned for a white-collar crime, Ryder underwent a fundamental transformation. "We found several people who’d embezzled money and gone to prison for it and came out very changed by their experience," Helgeland notes. Ryder aims his rage at New York City as a living, breathing, byzantine entity that destroys lives. "He’s built up resentment toward the city, feeling betrayed and mistreated," 1994 Stockholm Film Festival winner Travolta ("Pulp Fiction") says. "I decided he was calculated to some degree, but at the same time, he is a stimulus/response type of guy, meaning you can push his buttons. Say the wrong word, and he goes off." When it came to the supporting roles, the filmmakers drew from New York City’s rich pool of acting talent, including several actors who previously had worked with Washington, Travolta, or Scott. James Gandolfini appeared in the director’s "True Romance" and "Crimson Tide" before becoming a household name as the crime boss of "The Sopranos". He goes from mobster to mayor of New York in the film. Travolta was also delighted that Gandolfini took on an altogether different role from his seasoned bad-guy persona; their professional relationship dates back to "Get Shorty". "I’ve known him for fourteen years. This is our fifth movie together," Travolta (Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray") noted. Travolta sees Gandolfini’s mayor, as a departure. "He plays someone who is more aware of self-image, and what he means to his public. I think that was a nice change for James." Scott had long wanted to work with John Turturro ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?" & "Transformers I & II"). He'd come close on several projects, but it has never worked out until now. He recruited the actor to portray Lieutenant Vincent Camonetti, the head of the New York Police Department’s hostage negotiation team. As a native New Yorker, Turturro was a big fan of the 1974 film. He points out his character wasn’t in the original Pelham. "Back then, the NYPD didn’t have a hostage negotiator," two time Cannes Film Festival winner Turturro explained. "The job was invented afterwards." Turturro's role was based on the current commanding officer of the NYPD’s Hostage Negotiation Team: Lt. Jack Cambria. "Almost all of John’s dialogue comes directly from Cambria. He told us exactly what he would say to a terrorist," Helgeland states. Lt Cambria, who also served as a technical advisor, compliments Turturro as a quick study. "We know very well every time we have to enter somebody’s house for an arrest, there’s probably a 50/50 chance at best of coming out, but the hostages expect you’re going to save the world. You have to maintain an air of confidence to do this work, and John Turturro is outstanding at pulling that off." "I’ve played a few cops, I’ve done some research, and I have tremendous respect for what they do. It’s a hard job." Strangely, in four weeks of filming underground, the tunnel’s most notorious denizen, the rat (or track rabbit as it is sometimes called), kept a low profile. Synopsis

Walter Garber is under investigation for corruption. They can't sack him until they come up with the evidence so instead he's been given another position as a subway dispatcher. His ordinary day is about to be thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train Pelham 123. The criminal mastermind behind the hijacking is Ryder who, leading a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. When Lt Camonetti intervenes and Garber is sent home, Ryder amps up the tension with a threat: get Garber back on the job or he will cease negotiations. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. There’s one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?

The Verdict "I'm sure there will be quite a few cinemagoers who will experience a pang of nostalgia when they see "The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3". Older cinema fans will remember well the original 1974 edition, "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three", which starred Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw and Jerry Stiller. There-in lies a trap. This is not a re-make of the original: it is a re-telling, tailor made for a myriad of cinema fans who weren't born before say, 1990. And that's what makes it so exciting to watch. It's here and now. It fits into our troubled times like a glove! The cast headed-up by Denzel Washington and John Travolta is super. Washingtons character Garber, and Travolta's character Ryder, are men with a secret. Ryder, with great cunning, will unravel and expose Garber. Eventually Garber will reveal the makeup of Ryder and, bring him down. "The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3" takes audiences on a tension filled journey. The credit for that goes to Ryder, an ugly man who knows how to rattle New York cities chain. He's prepared to make good his threats. He won't compromise any part of his plan. There's no grey areas for him: it's all black and white. His dark demeanor is balanced by Garber's calmness. For the hapless traffic controller, there is nothing more important than the lives of those subway passengers being held ransom by these terrorists. And, as you'd expect from a Tony Scott film, the SFX and the onscreen action is first class. 4 STARS." The Production Team

Director Screenplay Novel by Producers Original Music Director of photography Film Editor Casting Production Designer Art Direction Set Decoration Costume Design

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Tony Scott Brian Helgeland John Godey Todd Black/Jason Blumenthal/Tony Scott/Steve Tisch Harry Gregson-Williams Tobias Schliessler Chris Lebenzon Denise Chamian Chris Seagers David Swayze Regina Graves Renée Ehrlich Kalfus

Run Time 106 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2009 - Sony Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2009 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian & International Copyright Trademark & Intellectual Property Rights.