Warren Beatty is fine as Joseph Frady, a third-rate reporter who misses out on being present for the assassination of a U.S. Senator atop the Space Needle. However, an ex-girlfriend (Paula Prentiss, in an affecting cameo) WAS there, although she and other witnesses aren't entirely sure of what they saw. Nevertheless, the witnesses start to get killed off - including Prentiss - and Beatty is motivated to investigate into the matter. He eventually discovers a typically shadowy organization, dubbed Parallax, that is in the business of professional assassinations.
The story isn't always completely coherent, but the fast-paced editing by John W. Wheeler ensures a story (scripted by David Giler and Lorenzo Semple, Jr., based on a novel by Loren Singer) that moves quickly and with no filler. Director Alan J. Pakula, also known for such top 70s features as "Klute" and "All the President's Men", is clearly in his element, and he keeps the element of mystery and nervousness high. He's ably assisted by the legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis, who never lights scenes more than absolutely necessary. This is especially essential when it comes to the nerve-wracking finale, taking place at a rehearsal where Parallax intends to give Frady his first assignment.
Particularly of intrigue is the sequence where Frady is "tested". The questionnaire and personality-testing montage have to have individual viewers wondering just how they would personally fare, going through these processes. In the end, this system succeeds in creating such efficient cold-blooded creeps such as Bill McKinney's character (who has absolutely no dialogue).
Glum, riveting, and ultimately downbeat, "The Parallax View" offers choice acting opportunities to a solid cast that also features Hume Cronyn (as Frady's long-suffering editor), William Daniels, Walter McGinn (in a standout turn as a friendly Parallax recruiter), Kelly Thordsen, Earl Hindman, Jim Davis, Kenneth Mars, William Jordan, Edward Winter, Stacy Keach Sr., Ford Rainey, Richard Bull, and an uncredited Anthony Zerbe. It's particularly fun for this viewer to see future 'Home Improvement' cast member Hindman as a hostile Sheriffs' deputy (who gets his ass handed to him by Frady).
As was said, Beatty does a fine job. This is a character who's not an infallible superhero, and you can see that he really is out of his depth here.
Pakula did do much more popular pictures during his career, but never really got enough credit for this one.
Seven out of 10.
The story isn't always completely coherent, but the fast-paced editing by John W. Wheeler ensures a story (scripted by David Giler and Lorenzo Semple, Jr., based on a novel by Loren Singer) that moves quickly and with no filler. Director Alan J. Pakula, also known for such top 70s features as "Klute" and "All the President's Men", is clearly in his element, and he keeps the element of mystery and nervousness high. He's ably assisted by the legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis, who never lights scenes more than absolutely necessary. This is especially essential when it comes to the nerve-wracking finale, taking place at a rehearsal where Parallax intends to give Frady his first assignment.
Particularly of intrigue is the sequence where Frady is "tested". The questionnaire and personality-testing montage have to have individual viewers wondering just how they would personally fare, going through these processes. In the end, this system succeeds in creating such efficient cold-blooded creeps such as Bill McKinney's character (who has absolutely no dialogue).
Glum, riveting, and ultimately downbeat, "The Parallax View" offers choice acting opportunities to a solid cast that also features Hume Cronyn (as Frady's long-suffering editor), William Daniels, Walter McGinn (in a standout turn as a friendly Parallax recruiter), Kelly Thordsen, Earl Hindman, Jim Davis, Kenneth Mars, William Jordan, Edward Winter, Stacy Keach Sr., Ford Rainey, Richard Bull, and an uncredited Anthony Zerbe. It's particularly fun for this viewer to see future 'Home Improvement' cast member Hindman as a hostile Sheriffs' deputy (who gets his ass handed to him by Frady).
As was said, Beatty does a fine job. This is a character who's not an infallible superhero, and you can see that he really is out of his depth here.
Pakula did do much more popular pictures during his career, but never really got enough credit for this one.
Seven out of 10.