I recently saw Payback the director's cut. It was an
improvement on the studio approved edit, but it still wasn't
a wholly successful film. In a short but excellent interview
with Donald Westlake on the DVD, Westlake gave his blessing
to any of the changes Brian Helgland needed to make to tell
the story better. Westlake says that Helgland's script was
too reverential to his book and in order to make a better
movie he could change whatever he needed to. Westlake also
tells an anecdote where he wishes he named Parker anything
but "Parker" because he kept having to think up original ways
of writing "Parker parked the car."
The three most obvious improvements:
1. No studio mandated Voice Over that explains exactly what's
going on. Yay! 2. They ditched the blue tinted cinematography
for more natural looking lighting. 3. They toned down the
jokier tone to make it more serious and more
Parker-esque.
That being said the movie is still flawed, but worth a DVD
rental, and also for the director's commentary on the studio
changes and for the Westlake interview.
I think the closest film version to the Parker of the books
is Robert Duvall in The Outfit-- A no nonsense professional
thief with the gravitas and acting chops of Duvall.
Best wishes, Channing
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