The Silent Partner

An interesting (Canadian) movie about a bank robbery and its aftermath. Elliott Gould stars (or that is, tries to star) in a weird comedy, that really isn't. Christopher Plummer is the real star of the film. Canadian, and far from his innocent roles from the Sound of Music, Plummer plays a convincing maniac who will stop at nothing for revenge. Gould on the other hand, is far from likable. His character, from the beginning of the film is not well defined. The audience is left far away in left field as his character plays further and further away from his true intentions. This is not a mystery or a thriller. The Silent Partner plays off as some kind of black comedy but remains a dark drama where nothing is learned by the end of the movie. Some interesting moments but far from anything really good. John Candy plays a small role but nothing worth mentioning.

Technically mediocre, but an adrenaline-fueled crime-thriller adapted from Anders Bodelsen's book "Think of a Number". Bank employee Elliott Gould dupes bank robber Christopher Plummer out of a small fortune, leading to a head-spinning game of cat-and-mouse. Gould and Plummer both do career-peak work, with Plummer never more riveting (violence turns him on, making him a dangerous, bloodthirsty cat). The film's R-rated mayhem may be over-the-top, but the movie is never off-putting and director Daryl Duke, working from Curtis Hanson's screenplay, nearly keeps it on track the entire way. Duke mounts the proceedings with flair, accentuating the coal-black humor inherent in the tension for a terrifically lively effect. Engrossing picture was unjustly swept under the carpet in 1978, but has more excitement than most big-budget films in this genre. Watch out! ***1/2 from ****

Recluse bank teller Gould spots a robbery in the making when he eyes a creepy mall Santa carefully planning his heist. Rather than alerting the authorities he decides to one-up the robber by stashing a hefty sum in his lunch box and only handing over a portion of it to the robber. Then begins a cat and mouse game between the teller and the psychotic robber. Despite being a wonderful time capsule in showing the 70's decadent lifestyle, this little suspense film serves up the goods in many respects. The tight and incredibly inventive script, deliberate pacing and some show stopping moments (including one particularly nasty scene) ensure "The Silent Partner" is a real keeper. Gould does well in the lead, delivering his usual relaxed performance but Plummer is the real winner here. Here he creates a truly disturbing sociopath who really gets under your skin. As said, the script be Curtis Hanson is top notch. The Gould/Plummer duel is excellent and the fairly plot ridden story is tightly written, although some twists were fairly obvious.

A razor-sharp suspense drama with plenty of nifty, nasty surprises. Gould gives one of his top performances, and Christopher Plummer is a revelation: you'll never look on him as the stalwart Herr Von Trapp again as he turns in one of the most cold-blooded sociopathic performances ever committed to celluloid. (Yeah - right up there with Robert Mitchum's Max Cady in Cape Fear.) And yes – this does have some moments of honest-to-God, shockingly intense violence (it sure ain't no chick-flick ;-) But for my money – IF SOME CHOWDERHEADS WOULD RELEASE IT ON DVD, ANYWAY – this is one of best suspense dramas in the past 30 years, much in the league of films like Point Blank and Charley Varrick. Don't miss this one.

"The Silent Partner" is one of the best films you have probably never heard of. It had a very brief theatrical run in 1979 and I was lucky enough to see it during the one week it was in my town. I, along with the few brave others in attendance, were blown away. This is the only time I have ever seen just a handful of people in a movie and at the end we all applauded. It's that good. Elliot Gould plays a bank teller in a mall during Christmas time. Christopher Plummer plays the mall Santa who is planning to rob the bank. Gould finds this out (How? I will leave you to discover that for yourself) and soon Plummer knows that Gould knows thus Gould becomes Plummer's silent partner and a game of cat and mouse ensues. But there is much, much more to this intense thriller and it is better for me to leave it unsaid. Susannah York has a nice supporting role as Gould's would be girlfriend and she looks just great. I only have one complaint and that is there are two scenes involving Plummer that are shockingly violent. We know Plummer is a bad guy after the first act of violence. Did we really need to see the second (which is far more graphic and brutal)? I found this film on video about 15 years ago and watched it again and loved it just as much. I haven't seen it since. If you are a fan of thrillers then this is one of the best and I urge you to search far and wide to find it. You won't be disappointed.

I first saw this movie about 15 years ago and watched it again the other night. What I once considered a very good film I now consider a borderline great film due to how movies in general keep regressing. It was so nice to see a movie with adult protagonists and a well-written, clever script that doesn't resort to explosions and mindless action stunts to cater to the MTV crowd. I won't give anything away at all -- if you like clever, twisty thrillers like The Usual Suspects, then check this one out. The acting is excellent and the script is too. Note that Curtis Hanson (Bedroom Window, LA Confidential) wrote this one 22 years ago!

Director Daryl Duke makes a very taut thriller here about a figurative chess game between Elliot Gould, a bank teller who stole in excess of $48,000, and Christopher Plummer the real thief who gets outwitted. Gould and Plummer have some remarkable scenes between them - most of them on phones - one upstairs and the other in a phone booth. The tension created has roller-coaster effects through much of the film to see what the next move is for each character. I was riveted through much of it. Added in for some extra measure are various love liaisons for Gould and lots of depth given to the main characters. Gould does a very good job carrying off a very difficult role as a man who is quiet, overlooked, and introspective. Plummer is his equal as a maniacal killer/thief who knows how to play cat and mouse. The film has several memorable scenes: the ending in the mall was just fantastic as were all the scenes shot in Gould's apartment. Susannah York gives an integral performance as a co-worker at the bank. The director gives this rather pedestrian material lots of life, though the film obviously is a product of the 70s with way too much nudity for a film like this. Just about every woman in the movies goes bare-chested at some point(not that I am complaining mind you). If you are looking for a real edge of your seater then the Canadian production The Silent Partner might just be what you need to see.