Telefon (1977)

This Cold War thriller has plenty of spy intrigue and action yet is strangely uninvolving. The reason for this problem lies in Telefon's script, which focuses on plot at the expense of characterization: The viewer never gets a chance to understand what drove Dalchimsky to his genocidal mania or why Borzov struggles to avoid any personal involvements in his life. As a result, the film's array of twists and action scenes lack dramatic weight because there is no human element to give them a spark. Despite this key flaw, Telefon remains watchable for a few reasons. The first is Don Siegel's skillful direction, which keeps things rolling at a snappy pace and creates a number of snazzy action set pieces in the process (the best is a hotel chase that is capped with a memorable car stunt in the hotel garage). The second reason is the stellar cast: Bronson is a typically solid action hero, Pleasence manages to make his stock character believably creepy, and Remick gives the film some much-needed warmth as Borzov's mismatched but skillful American ally. All in all, Telefon is probably a little too dated and tame for most modern viewers but it offers enough well-crafted thrills to please action buffs. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide