Bronson is less stiff then usual and the action scenes are well done. Director Don Seigel handles the silly material in a straightforward manner never taking things too seriously. Also on hand is Lee Remick as an American agent assigned to help Bronson but who also has a hidden agenda of her own. Pleasance is credible in the role, thus we fear him and route for Bronson to catch him. Donald Pleasance convincingly plays the bad guy and that, I think, is what makes the movie work. One call from this guy and the reciting of some lines from a Frost poem and that person is hypnotized into going out and committing an act of violence that resembles terrorism in many cases. Bronson plays (and doesn't even begin to resemble) a KGB agent out to track a killer who have been brainwashed.
Of the few films of his I have enjoyed (see also 'The Mechanic' and 'Hard Times') from that era, 'Telefon is a surprisingly gripping thriller even though the story is downright silly at times.
His performances were usually always one note. His movies usually followed the same predictable patterns of revenge and violence with Bronson usually coming off dry and stiff.
