PiraBit
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
Ed-Shullivan
Not always does the biggest dog win. Nor does a pack of wild dogs always win against two loyal junkyard dogs as portrayed in The Outfit by seven (7 X 2) time nominated Best/Supporting actor Robert Duvall who plays Earl Macklin, a recently released from prison bank robber, and his good old bank robbing buddy Joe Don Baker who plays Jack Cody. The film opens up with a cold blooded assassination executed by two professional hit men on a man who we only know is a gardener and who has a love for dogs. Eventually we discover that the murdered victim is Robert Duvall's brother who also led a life of crime in robbing banks but was trying to hide and live out his remaining days with his wife on a remote farm toiling in the soil.Earl Macklin and Jack Cody also fall victims to the hit men but both of these two junkyard dogs survive a number of failed attempts of murder by the hit men. Gradually Earl and Jack discover that the reason they are being targeted for death is they previously robbed a bank whose cash belonged to the mob who were laundering their cash through that bank.Vengeance is a dish best served cold and these two junkyard dogs are two cold sons of b(r)itches that don't take lightly when Earl's brother is executed gangland style, and then the mob tries and tries again to take them out even after Earl thinks he has made a deal with mob leader Mailer, played by the veteran actor Robert Ryan. Of course I cannot forget about the strong performances of two of the leading ladies in this action/crime film. Karen Black who plays Bett Harrow initially picks Earl up at the prison immediately after his release and theirs is a love/hate relationship. Bett truly loves Earl and Earl also loves Bett, but the hate aspect is emphasized around the guns. Bett wants Earl to give up his guns as she hates that Earl won't give them up. Earl meanwhile has made it very clear to Bett that he hates when ever she attempts to even touch one of his guns. Thus the love/hate in their intense romantic relationship. The other supporting actress in this action/crime film is Sheree North who plays a temptress hottie who tries to first manipulate Jack into her bed so she can falsely claim she was raped but only to ignite her husband into a fit of rage where he would be killed at the hands of Jack and/or Earl. These two junkyard dogs don't fall for this felines in heat plan to have her husband killed, but the subsequent action scenes are great. I really enjoyed the interaction between Earl, Jack and Bett, and in my humble opinion, their performances were stronger as a whole than the more acclaimed actors/actresses who starred in the Academy Award winning film the 1967 Bonnie & Clyde.I give The Outfit a strong 8 out of 10 rating. This film holds up very well over the past 44 years. It is well worth a watch and I will be watching it again sometime.
filton
A terrific post-heist, hoodlum v mob, revenge flick that resembles in plot 'Point Blank'.As other reviewers have said, the performances are all really fine, the music perfectly understated, and (here I disagree with Ricky Grove - top review as at 17/07/16) each scene is as tight as a drum.From the hit on Macklin's brother early on, to Karen Black's phone call home (notice the truck reflected in the phone booth, the logo on the side of it forming a target on Karen's face - foreshadowing her death a scene or two later), to Joe Don Baker getting a visit from the hit men at his diner (notice the low camera angles - built-in tension right there), to the purchase in the car of hot weaponry, to the negotiations between Roberts Duvall and Ryan at a horse auction with a ball game going on in the background, to the purchase of a getaway car from rednecks (one of the most eventful sequences in cinema - how many stories are told within the space of about five minutes!?).It's fine craftsmanship from director (and writer) John Flynn, who can only be faulted for an extremely disappointing ending. If it had been something like the ending of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', that might have worked, but it's a poor 'meh' moment at the end of a brilliant, brilliant film.9/10
jadavix
"The Outfit" is a lesser example of the old "hitman goes rogue and tries to take down crime organization" set-up that has been made in countless better movies, such as "Point Blank", "Le Samourai", "Il Dio", "Get Carter". It has some really good actors: Robert Duvall is the good guy, Joe Don Baker is his pal, Karen Black is his squeeze and Robert Ryan is his enemy. But it's not as involving as the above, either because the screenplay isn't up to it, or the direction isn't. It doesn't grab you the way it should with actors like that and a screenplay by Donald E. Westlake, which is a shame.It's not a classic, but it is worth checking out.
edwagreen
Don't start with a crime syndicate which controls the bank you have robbed. This is the theme of this film.Robert Duvall gets out of jail and his brother, his accomplice, who participated in this robbery which would be his last job, is shot to death by the syndicate.The film is devoted to Duvall's revenge along with his pal Joe Don Baker.Karen Black shines as Duvall's girlfriend, longing to go home, only to take a fatal bullet while sitting in back of the car.Robert Ryan, the head of the syndicate, is given relatively little to do here. His usual sinister persona is not made use here.The ending is contrived.
