"Last Embrace" is one of the better suspense-thrillers to be made in the mold established by The Master. The plot could be seen as a little convoluted, but Jonathan Demmes' direction is masterful, the use of locations is excellent, the cast is amazing, and the finale is quite gripping. Even if the viewer figures out where the story is headed, getting to the conclusion is an enjoyable journey.
Making a difference is the ever personable Roy Scheider, playing Harry Hannan, a CIA agent who has to watch while his wife is assassinated in a cantina. (One of the goons is played by Joe Spinell in a very brief cameo.) He becomes paranoid, and spends the balance of the film wondering if he will die next. Certainly it seems that somebody has marked him, as he is receiving cryptic death streets printed in Aramaic.
Scheider is extremely well supported by a lovely young actress, Janet Margolin, who plays the role of Ellie Fabian. Ellie is an anthropologist who through circumstance comes to stay in Harry's residence. Watching her, one will likely regret the fact that she didn't have a more visible film career, and mourn her untimely passing. John Glover as always is a real hoot as the uppity professor who is dating Ellie. The endearing Sam Levene makes the most of his screen time as private investigator Sam Urdell. Demme regular Charles Napier is good as Dave Quittle, the brother of Harry's late wife. Christopher Walken, like Glover, is typically fun in an amusing turn as Harry's weaselly young superior. Other familiar faces appear in the supporting cast: Jacqueline Brookes, David Margulies (the mayor from "Ghost Busters"), Andrew Duncan, and Marcia Rodd. Look for Mandy Patinkin and Max Wright in bits as commuters, and for Demme himself in an uncredited blink-and-you-might-miss-it part as a man on a train. Scheider has one particularly fine monologue scene.
The score by Miklos Rozsa is absolutely perfect, and the story (based on a novel by Murray Teigh Bloom) is well told and reasonably absorbing. Niagara Falls provides a stunning backdrop for the climactic action. While there's no epilogue, one feels a certain sadness at the outcome.
This is a good film to check out, so it's appreciated that Kino Lorber finally released it to Blu- ray.
Seven out of 10.
Making a difference is the ever personable Roy Scheider, playing Harry Hannan, a CIA agent who has to watch while his wife is assassinated in a cantina. (One of the goons is played by Joe Spinell in a very brief cameo.) He becomes paranoid, and spends the balance of the film wondering if he will die next. Certainly it seems that somebody has marked him, as he is receiving cryptic death streets printed in Aramaic.
Scheider is extremely well supported by a lovely young actress, Janet Margolin, who plays the role of Ellie Fabian. Ellie is an anthropologist who through circumstance comes to stay in Harry's residence. Watching her, one will likely regret the fact that she didn't have a more visible film career, and mourn her untimely passing. John Glover as always is a real hoot as the uppity professor who is dating Ellie. The endearing Sam Levene makes the most of his screen time as private investigator Sam Urdell. Demme regular Charles Napier is good as Dave Quittle, the brother of Harry's late wife. Christopher Walken, like Glover, is typically fun in an amusing turn as Harry's weaselly young superior. Other familiar faces appear in the supporting cast: Jacqueline Brookes, David Margulies (the mayor from "Ghost Busters"), Andrew Duncan, and Marcia Rodd. Look for Mandy Patinkin and Max Wright in bits as commuters, and for Demme himself in an uncredited blink-and-you-might-miss-it part as a man on a train. Scheider has one particularly fine monologue scene.
The score by Miklos Rozsa is absolutely perfect, and the story (based on a novel by Murray Teigh Bloom) is well told and reasonably absorbing. Niagara Falls provides a stunning backdrop for the climactic action. While there's no epilogue, one feels a certain sadness at the outcome.
This is a good film to check out, so it's appreciated that Kino Lorber finally released it to Blu- ray.
Seven out of 10.