The Silent Partner
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.32 You Save: $5.66 (57%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Silent Partner
Movie Review: The Dark Side of Captain von Trapp
Summary: 4 Stars
Due to an initial misapplication of sunscreen, no reapplication of same and 10 hours of uninterrupted beach time one vacation, I spent a lot of time subsequently watching the motel's rotary dial TV. In addition to a debatably-necessary Doobie Brothers farewell/reunion concert, I also caught this amazing 1978 Canadian surprisingly tough heist/thriller. Elliot Gould plays a bit against type as Miles, a shy fish-collecting bank teller who stumbles onto a scheme to rob the bank and ends up robbing it himself during the heist, with the unwitting patsy, played by Mr. Edelweiss himself -- Christopher Plummer, getting away and plotting to collect the money from Miles. The plot has a very twisty assured path that frequently surprises and occasionally truly shocks. It's the kind of movie that doesn't seem to get made anymore, one with great performances, a labrynthian plot that isn't stuck on its own cleverness and a refreshingly pedestrian amount of stolen dough. I'd've given this baby five big ol' stars were it not for the somewhat-forced love angle between Miles and coworker Julie (Susannah York,) but I truly believe that this is one of the best thrillers ever made, and as many people have pointed out, it contains a bit of graphic violence (which, incidentally was purloined by a half-dozen late 70's/early 80's slasher flicks) that makes even the most hardened gore hounds either wince or give out a wide-eyed thumbs up. Toss in a non-comedic role by John Candy, a solid soundtrack and an inspiringly-low number of Canadian "eh's" (only two,) there's enough to keep you riveted to the end.Movie Review: Daylight robbery
Summary: 4 Stars
And the award for most misleading DVD cover of the year goes to Lions Gate for The Silent Partner, which scales new heights of dishonesty in its attempts to sell this very smart 1978 Canadian thriller as a Reservoir Dogs heist movie with its image of three black-suited robbers, smoking gun in hand, striding across a US hundred dollar bill, while below even the still of a huge open bank vault is from a completely different movie. By contrast, the film is set in a small shopping mall branch of a Toronto bank which Christopher Plummer's very unpleasant solo bank robber knocks off disguised as Santa Claus only to find that Elliott Gould's clued-in bank teller has pulled a fast one on him and kept $48,000 of the $50,000 haul himself, cuing an increasingly nasty game of cat and mouse where it turns out that the much underestimated Gould's cunning is more than a match for Plummer's cruelty as the stakes constantly rise. Half victim, half apprentice, Gould's boringly inconspicuous everyman finds himself surprisingly adept at crime, taking his lead from Plummer's tactics and excelling at using them against him, and not showing much more concern over any victims that fall violently by the wayside than his tormenter/inadvertent teacher. The nastiness is there but never overplayed in Curtis Hanson's smart screenplay and Daryl Duke's confident direction avoids showing off at the expense of the story. Ingeniously gripping stuff, its well worth checking out - but perhaps not recommended for any tropical fish lovers.
No extras, but a decent 1.85:1 widescreen transfer.
Movie Review: Christopher Plummer at his best...
Summary: 4 Stars
I totally forgot about this thriller until a friend reminded me about it. I saw it back when it first came out and then again on tv. It kept me on the edge of my seat then and still does today. I just bought the DVD (nothing new was added). This is an excellent suspense thriller. Briefly, Plummer plays a bank robber that discovers more money was missing from the bank than he got. He knew right away that the bank teller (Elliot Gould) had something to do with the rest of the money and he tries immediately to get it. The plot is full of twists and turns and keeps you in suspense the whole length of the film. There was something for every movie lover---fright, suspense, romance and slight comedy. The comedy was courtesy of a character played by a young John Candy! When Plummer says, "One night when you come home you'll find me inside waiting and that will be the night you'll wish you'd never been born," scares the pants off of you. The "aquarium" scene was a bit too much for me to bear, as I am an animal lover (yeah, I felt worse for the fish), but very, very suspenseful!Movie Review: Canadian Noir
Summary: 4 Stars
I originally saw this on initial release on a double bill with "The In Laws"(?!). I hadn't seen it since but the film seared itself into my subconscious. This is a very good film but it doesn't have the viceral impact that it did when I was 16 years old. Elliott Gould is quite good as the seemingly nebbishy bankteller who doublecrosses Christopher Plummer's sadistic bankrobber. That said there are not enough scenes between these adveraries, the juiciest parts of the film. A matter of fact there are not enough scenes with Plummer. I'd be surprised if Plummer logs at least 10 minutes of screen time here. The script most certainly has it's share of interesting cat-and-mouse twists but there are the occasional lulls. Another point of interest is that this is an early script by Curtis Hansen who later scripted the now classic "L.A. Confidential". I recommend "The Silent Partner" but don't raise your expectations too high.Movie Review: Good, But Worth Buying?
Summary: 4 Stars
An entertaining movie that I would have been happier having seen renting it. Buying it? I'm not so sure. But judging by the reviews it looks like a movie many people feel should be definitely on your shelf.
A lot of twists and turns in this highly unbeleivable but still entertaining suspense movie make it worth watching, but renting it should be enough for most. No problem. If you want to buy it I'll be selling mine soon!