If slowing down for bad car accidents is something of enjoyment (or curiosity), then this is worth watching. Unpleasant people doing unpleasant things in a beautiful surrounding (Toronto) and seeming to get away with it is the premise of this drama that stars the extremely busy Elliott Gould, the handsome Christopher Plummer, and the underrated Susannah York. Plummer, in a role that cries for his desire to escape "The Sound of Music", plays a Richard Widmark type role of the crazed bank robber who realizes after holding Gould up that somehow, he didn't get all of the bank's cash and is sure Gould got it, blaming him. He continues to harass Gould for weeks, even sending in a beautiful girl (Celine Lomez) to seduce him so she can let the imprisoned Plummer know where the stash is. But Gould is equally as clever as the evil Plummer, which impresses him even though Plummer obviously intends to kill him after he gets the cash back. York is one of the bank's managers, involved in an affair with her married boss who has feelings for Gould.
The atmosphere of this film is set up instantly when Plummer is seen taking out his anger on a sexual conquest in the most vile way possible. Unlike the equally nefarious Hannibal Lector from "Silence of the Lambs", Plummers' psychopathic thief is never once charming. The film also presents several rather sadomasochistic sexual images, seemingly for no real reason other than to titillate its audience whom in 1978 required this sort of thing no matter what the plot of the movie was. (Only Disney obviously avoided this post production code trend.) If Plummer is freaky, then Gould is even freakier, ripping off the employers who seem to actually be good people to work for. York is lovely, but it is difficult to not confuse her with the equally beautiful and talented Julie Christie. John Candy is seen in a small role as one of the bank's other employees. The cameraman makes good use of the amazing Toronto scenery, most especially the huge Eaton's Center, one of the world's largest shopping malls I used to visit only a few years after this was filmed. But familiarity with the locale does not make for an enjoyable movie, and it was only as a film historian that I forced myself to watch the entire movie.
SPOILER REGARDING FINALE BELOW:
The sight of Plummer in drag (looking like Dustin Hoffman without glasses in "Tootsie") added a few chuckles in the films finale.
The atmosphere of this film is set up instantly when Plummer is seen taking out his anger on a sexual conquest in the most vile way possible. Unlike the equally nefarious Hannibal Lector from "Silence of the Lambs", Plummers' psychopathic thief is never once charming. The film also presents several rather sadomasochistic sexual images, seemingly for no real reason other than to titillate its audience whom in 1978 required this sort of thing no matter what the plot of the movie was. (Only Disney obviously avoided this post production code trend.) If Plummer is freaky, then Gould is even freakier, ripping off the employers who seem to actually be good people to work for. York is lovely, but it is difficult to not confuse her with the equally beautiful and talented Julie Christie. John Candy is seen in a small role as one of the bank's other employees. The cameraman makes good use of the amazing Toronto scenery, most especially the huge Eaton's Center, one of the world's largest shopping malls I used to visit only a few years after this was filmed. But familiarity with the locale does not make for an enjoyable movie, and it was only as a film historian that I forced myself to watch the entire movie.
SPOILER REGARDING FINALE BELOW:
The sight of Plummer in drag (looking like Dustin Hoffman without glasses in "Tootsie") added a few chuckles in the films finale.