Runtime: 105 minutes
Directed by: Daryl Duke
Starring: Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer (RIP), Susannah York, Celine Lomez, Michael Kirby
From: Carolco (which came as a surprise to me when I viewed the opening credits)
Finally, I am able to tip my cap to the late Christopher Plummer. Like everyone else I was saddened when I heard of his death a few weeks ago. None all of his work that I've seen in my life has been rated & reviewed on Letterboxd; The Silent Partner is something I've known of for a few years now but it's just now that I pressed play (on the Criterion Channel, where it's at for the moment) and went on the journey to see if this Canadian film deserves the high praise I've seen in some circles. IMO, this Curtis Hanson scripted film does.
It's a simple tale-at first glance-where a bank teller (Elliott Gould) accidentally stumbles upon news that his branch will soon be held up. He tries to game the system so he can also get himself some cash during the holdup. The robber (Plummer) discovers this ruse and as he's a sadistic SOB this results in a cat and mouse battle-likely a million times better than what is shown in the new Tom & Jerry film which just dropped-where they often try to outwit each other. Gould's romantic entanglements are also shown; eventually the viewer discovers the purpose of this. As for all the female nudity present... I already knew the purpose of that, along with the one gruesome death.
It is a serious battle of wits & wills, both wanting that large sum of Canadian loonies. Both the leads are rather interesting characters (for example, Gould's Miles Cullen loves tropical fish) and both deliver noteworthy performances. Not only does it have a few Hitchcockian scenes, there's also early John Candy, in a small role and a rare dramatic part for him. He wears plaid suits and manages to hook up with a young attractive blonde; it is not as happy a relationship as it appears on the surface. Mix in an aces musical score from jazz musician Oscar Peterson and I was not let down by the experience.
BTW, this is set and filmed in Toronto, a nice city I was able to visit for about 40 hours back in '09. Among other things, I went to the stadium first known as SkyDome to see the Blue Jays lose to the Yankees. Time was also spent in the subways, shown briefly in the movie. I drove up from Florida back to my old stomping grounds in Illinois and I took a long scenic route to the Land of Lincoln. I enjoyed my time in Canada and hope to return there one day.
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