The Silent Partner (1978) User Reviews

Sleeper crime thriller -- an 8.

[timtindy · 8/10 · 13 June 2000]

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!

Cat-and-Mouse Game

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 31 December 2015]

In Toronto, the methodical and lonely bank teller Miles Cullen (Elliott Gould) works in a bank in a shopping mall. He feels unrequited love for his coworker Julie Carver (Susannah York) but she is having a love affair with the married bank manager Charles Packard (Michael Kirby). One day, Cullen discovers a note on the counter indicating that the bank will be robbed and he soon identifies the handwriting of a Santa Claus in the mall as the author of the note. However he does not tell the police about of his findings and he hides a large amount of cash in his lunch box. When the thief heists the bank, he keeps the money for him. Soon the thief Harry Reikle (Christopher Plummer), who is a psychopath, tracks Cullen down, breaks in his apartment and threatens him to give the robbed money to him. However Cullen sets Reikle up and he is arrested for stealing a van. Meanwhile Cullen's father dies and he meets his nurse Elaine Muriel (Céline Lomez) at the funeral. They have a love affair and Cullen finds that she is working with Reikle that is in jail. But she is in love with Cullen and helps him to recover the key of the safety deposit box that he had lost. But soon Reikle is released from jail. What will happen to Cullen and Elaine?

"The Silent Partner" is one of the best thrillers from the 70's, with an intelligent story and top-notch performances. Christopher Plummer is scary in the role of psychopath. The gorgeous Susannah York and Céline Lomez have important participations. Elliott Could steals the show with another brilliant performance. The unforgettable John Candy has a minor role in the plot. The cat-and-mouse game between Elliott Gould and Christopher Plummer is breathless and increases the intensity along the story. After almost forty years, this film has not lost the impact. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Parceiro do Silêncio" (VHS)("Silent Partner")

Bullseye!

[moonspinner55 · 8/10 · 1 April 2007]

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 ****

Outstanding thriller, one of the best Canadian films ever

[cfisanick · 11 November 2001]

Anders Bodelson's Danish novel "Think of a Number" has been transplanted to Toronto, intelligently updated by screenwriter Curtis Hanson, and directed by Daryl Duke in brilliant fashion. What makes this film so special, I think, is that you wind up rooting for Elliot Gould, a bank teller turned thief, to best Christopher Plummer, a sadistic bank robbery, even though Gould's character is basically amoral. This is that rare thriller that works on every level. The plotting feels free of contrivance, Gould and Plummer have never been better, chilly Toronto looks spectacular, and there's a wonderfully evocative, jazzy soundtrack by pianist Oscar Peterson.

Coming as it did out of Canada in 1978, this film, despite its high quality, was almost immediately forgotten, but it is surely deserving of rediscovery. Check it out. It's one of the very best thrillers you'll ever see.

Find this movie!

[jrs-8 · 10/10 · 12 January 2005]

"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.

A gripping thriller.

[Hey_Sweden · 8/10 · 7 April 2012]

This rather ingenious movie, based on the novel "Think of a Number" by Anders Bodelsen, has a story, complete with fun twists and turns, that really keeps the viewer watching. Elliott Gould stars as bank teller Miles Cullen, held up by psychotic criminal Harry Reikle (Christopher Plummer). Unfortunately for Reikle, he doesn't obtain his entire potential take because Miles has already figured out a clever way to steal from the bank himself. When the robber realizes he was screwed, he's enraged and the two characters indulge in a battle of wits, with each man making moves that surprise the other. It's this whole interplay between these characters that provides this movie with some real meat, and it just goes to show that some people can't be taken at face value, are capable of daring actions, and may be far more crafty than we believe. On location shooting in Toronto is an asset (it's quite clear this takes place in Canada from the get go), as well as a cracking pace and a number of riveting scenes. Gould is nicely understated, as the unlikely thief, and Plummer, in one of his more interesting roles (it's cool to actually hear him curse out Gould), is damn convincing. Miles' bravado extends to his aggressively pursuing both Julie Carver (Susannah York), a co-worker and the mistress of his boss (Michael Kirby), and Elaine (Celine Lomez, an exquisite lady who even does some full frontal nudity), who's not what she initially appears to be. While the occasional bursts of brutal violence are indeed a little jarring, they do go a long way in showing the utter depravity and ruthlessness of the Reikle character. The screenplay is by Curtis Hanson, who also takes an associate producer credit, and the taut direction is by Daryl Duke ("Payday"). It's also fun to see a young John Candy in one of his earliest film roles; although he never gets to do much here, that inherent likability of his still comes through. The story here is a truly entertaining one, from its chilling robbery sequence wherein Reikle makes for an intimidating Santa Claus to his ugly confrontation with Elaine. This movie is a true sleeper that definitely deserves to be better known. Eight out of 10.

oldie but goodie

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 6 October 2018]

Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer, and Susannah York star in "The Silent Partner."

Gould plays Miles Cullen, a bank teller, who finds a discarded deposit slip with words on the back indicating someone has a gun and is going to rob the bank. When he sees a nearby Santa Claus collecting money, he notices the printing is similar to what was on the note.

Miles figures Santa will be back, so he steals the money himself and, when the bank is robbed, Santa (Christopher Plummer) is distressed to find that he didn't get anything. He zeroes in on Miles and starts threatening and harassing him. He doesn't realize that Miles is as smart - or smarter - than he is.

Really good film, with Susannah York on hand as a bank employee whom Miles falls for. Plummer is excellent, meaner than dirt, as a ruthless crook who will stop at nothing to get his money.

HIghly recommended. Very absorbing and clever.

Silent for too long

[tomsview · 9/10 · 23 October 2013]

"The Silent Partner" is a Canadian film and shows that the Canadian film industry of the 1970's possessed some major talent.

Like all English-speaking film industries, the Canadians have to compete with the 300-pound gorilla in the room, Hollywood. Of course, being right next-door, the Canadians probably have the toughest job in creating cinema that reflects their national identity, and which doesn't just blend in with the US product. However, their films do have a unique vibe that Canadians may not recognize as easily as an outsider can.

These days, we see quite a lot of Canadian material on cable in Australia and you can tell that it is Canadian even without seeing flags, police uniforms, or hearing the word 'about' pronounced as 'aboot'. After watching hundreds of American films, you can easily sense the change in locale.

"The Silent Partner" is a clever and stylish movie that would stand out in any cinematic company, although it doesn't seem to get too many mentions in overviews of the Canadian Film Industry.

Elliott Gould plays Miles Cullen, a bank teller who at bank closing time discovers a note that tips him off that the bank will be robbed the next day. Dissatisfied with his job and pretty much his life, he hatches a plan.

When the robbery takes place, Miles gives the robber a token amount of money, and causes him to flee when he trips the alarm. However, he has kept aside nearly $50,000 for himself. He then reports the total amount as stolen by the robber.

The only other person who knows what he did is the perpetrator. In a truly edgy performance, Christopher Plummer plays bank robber, Harry Reikle, who is not only a thief but also a sadistic psychopath – he comes looking for the rest of the money, and he and Miles play out a deadly game of cat and mouse.

The film has a fascinating cast including Susannah York who plays a co-worker with whom Miles has an on again, off again relationship, and John Candy in an early non-comedy role as a young colleague at the bank. And then there is Celine Lomez, an actress who was considered too sexy to be one of the leads in TV's "Charlie's Angels" – a backhanded compliment if ever there was one. She plays Elaine with whom Miles has an affair before discovering that she is not all that she seems.

As the story unfolds we find that Miles is made of stern stuff and doesn't give ground easily, which only makes Harry more excessive in the pursuit of the money.

The film ends as cleverly as it started, but not before one of Miles' beloved tropical fish is pinned to the wall with a knife and a human head ends up in the fish tank. "The Silent Partner" also features a sequence worthy of Hitchcock at his best when Miles must dispose of a body deposited on him courtesy of Harry.

"The Silent Partner" hasn't dated much at all, and is still one of the cleverest crime dramas you'll ever see. Although the film did well in Canada at the time, it failed to find an audience in the US, but one American critic rightly hailed it as "…one of the best sleepers of the late '70s". It's still a great little discovery to make today.

Pretty effective little Canadian thriller.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 21 June 2007]

The Silent Partner starts a few days before Christmas where Miles Cullen (Elliot Gould) is head vault teller for the 'First Bank of Toronto', he's an ordinary guy who fancies his co-worker Julie (Susannah York) but she's already having an affair with the bank manager. One day Miles life changes when he realises a career criminal named Harry Reikle (Christopher Plummer) is going to rob the bank dressed as Santa Claus, his first attempt is foiled by a young boy & it's at that point Miles decides to turn the situation to his own advantage. Miles puts 1000's of dollars from the bank in his bag & waits for Harry to come back which he does, he does indeed try to rob the bank, Miles gives him a few hundred & blames the other missing 1000's that he has stolen himself on Harry. It's a clever plan if not for the fact Harry figures out what Miles did & he wants his money but neither can go to the police, it becomes a game of cat & mouse as each man tries to gain the upper hand with $48,350 at stake...

This Canadian production was directed Daryl Duke is a really smart thriller that most people probably will never even have heard of which is a shame because it's a great film. The intelligent script by Curtis Hanson was based on the book 'Think of a Number' by Anders Bodelsen takes itself very seriously & is a neat well crafted little crime thriller with an intriguing concept which hooks you & isn't too predictable, it moves along at a nice pace, it has some great scenes especially between Gould & Plummer & it even has a cool twist ending. The Silent Partner is a pretty exposition heavy film & therefore there isn't much on screen action so those with little in the way of patience may want to skip it, for those who do like a good story driven crime thriller this is definitely a film you should check out because I'm pretty sure you'll like it. The character's are very good as is the dialogue although there are a couple of times when Plummer's villainous Reikle disappears from the film for a bit especially when he gets thrown in jail & when he does it becomes dullsville with a fair amount of character development which is fine but before long you'll want Plummer back again stirring things up as that's when the film is at it's best & most entertaining.

Director Duke does OK, it looks as if The Silent Partner didn't have a huge budget as it's a fairly standard looking film without much style. I would imagine that this was a hard film to sell to the public at it's time of release, despite being a great film it has a very bland sounding title, it has no big action scenes so making a theatrical trailer which would excite people was almost impossible & they couldn't give much of the story away because it would have spoilt the twists & turns so I would guess that's probably why it's not a commonly known film. There are some nice tense scenes in this & some creepy ones when Plummer is around. There is some violence & a bit of nudity but nothing excessive.

Technically the film is alright, it's well made I suppose but nothing special although having said that this is a film which relies on strong storytelling rather than flashy & expensive action set-pieces although there are continuity problems at the end as Plummer is shot in the back as the bullet wound starts in the center, then disappears altogether for a couple of shots then reappears slightly to the left! Apparently this was shot at the Eaton Centre in Toronto in Canada which had only just been built. The cast is excellent & there's even a small early role for John Candy who is not as fat here as in his latter films, sure he's still fat but not as fat.

The Silent Partner is one of those hidden gems that virtually nobody has heard of or would ever particularly consider watching but for good word of mouth, personally I think it's well worth watching.

Recluse bank teller vs. an utter sociopath

[ODDBear · 8/10 · 1 December 2008]

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.

Good Film, Great Cast

[triggergotstuffed · 7/10 · 6 September 2016]

I think one of the reasons that I enjoyed this film so much was that I got to watch them film all of the bank scenes over a one or two week shoot. The location was the Toronto Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto and I was working at my first full-time job. Next door to where I was working, a fake bank was set up and across the hall was where the actors and one of the producers used to sit during breaks. The producer, Stephen Young was the first person that I recognized because of his co-starring role in a Canadian TV series from the 60s (Seaway 1965). Elliot Gould was also there for most of the time, sitting on a couch at the front of an empty, former, furniture retailer. The escalator just outside the bank (lower level of the Toronto Eaton Centre in case anyone is interested in filming locations(was closed down to shoppers during the filming of a few key scenes and I remember that one customer of mine, who was standing at the front of the store ducked for cover when she heard a (prop)gunshot close by.

Obviously, my choice in seeing this movie at the theatre was influenced by my experience of the filming but I thought the movie was great. It is a highly entertaining crime film and the cast was very strong. I would have to say that Christopher Plummer's performance is my favourite of the film but all of the actors did a great job in bringing life to their characters.

If you have not seen this film yet, and enjoy a good crime story that is well scripted and has solid performances from the cast, I definitely recommend you give it a look.

Cheers!

Spot On Suspense

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 26 December 2016]

Another sleeper that became one of my favorite films. Eliott Gould plays a bank teller who anticipates a robbery. He tricks the actual bank robber and takes the money for himself. Two things happen. Someone else is blamed and the bad guy (Christopher Plummer) is not going to rest until he gets his money. He also is sadistic enough to want Gould's head. What transpires is parry and thrust between Gould and Plummer with the latter being a really big threat. The way this plays out shows how incredible plotting can make a good movie great. This is the way movies should be made. Gould was a kind of icon of this era. The conclusion is so very satisfying, not clichéd or contrived like so many are.

A pretty good flick overall

[smatysia · 6/10 · 30 October 2020]

A pretty good flick overall. As I began watching it, I thought that the somewhat goofy-looking Elliot Gould was miscast. But later on, I realized that this was deliberate, as other characters kept on underestimating Gould's character. It was well-acted, well-directed, and well-photographed. Susannah York and Celine Lomez looked great, and hit all the right notes. Christopher Plummer was suitably menacing.

Unpleasant caper drama with little redeeming value.

[mark.waltz · 2/10 · 3 July 2012]

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.

But He Looks So Harmless

[dougdoepke · 16 July 2017]

Riveting battle of wits. Clever bank teller Cullen (Gould) figures out way to filch cash from bank and get it blamed on a robber (Plummer) who gets away with only a minor amount. Trouble is robber Reikle figures out where the bulk went and decides to harass Cullen into sharing his amount. But Cullen cleverly leads cops to Reikle's flat where they arrest him. Now it looks like Cullen's home free, but is he.

Cullen's a fascinating character. Humorless and nerdy, he appears married to the bank and his big aquarium. But inside that deadpan appearance lurks a calculating brain that knows an opportunity when he sees one. Thus, as Cullen knows, strength can lie in being underestimated as he usually is.

This would seem one of actor Gould's easier assignments since Cullen rarely breaks an expressionless exterior. Nonetheless, the humorless part really requires a lot of self-control, which Gould manages in ace fashion. On the other hand, Plummer doesn't get much screen time, but Reikle's icy stare and mocking voice make an unsettling contrast to Cullen. Girl-wise, the blonde York has a rather thankless role as bank co-worker Julie who sort of likes the diffident teller, but can't figure him out. On the other hand, Cullen seems mildly interested one minute only to turn cold the next as he calculates what his various schemes require. It's really Lomez who gets the plum part as the steamy Elaine. Not bothered by his odd manner, she quickly attaches to the conflicted Cullen who has trouble resisting.

All in all, the plot threads are cleverly woven into a compelling whole, along with an apt ending . And I like the idea of the enclosed but breakable aquarium as a key metaphor. Anyway, the film's an outstanding 110-minutes, whether taken as a solid crime suspenser or as an imaginative character study. Either way, it's highly entertaining.

A marvelously smart and suspenseful thriller knockout

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 10 May 2007]

Quiet, timid, but shrewd Miles Cullen (an outstanding performance by the always affable and reliable Elliott Gould) works as a teller at a bank in a shopping center. One day Miles gets held up by vicious psychotic criminal Harry Reikle (a superbly chilling portrayal by Christopher Plummer). However, Miles only gives Harry a small percentage of the money he asked for. Miles pockets the rest of the bread himself. Pretty soon Miles finds himself playing a dangerous cat and mouse battle of wills with the lethal Harry. Moreover, Miles aggressively pursues sweet, fetching coworker Julie Carver (a wonderfully radiant and ravishing Susannah York) and becomes involved with Harry's lusty girlfriend Elaine (a charming turn by the lovely Celine Lomez). Director Daryl Duke, who also helmed the terrific "Payday," ably wrings plenty of nerve-wracking tension from Curtis Hanson's supremely twisty, gripping, intelligent script, astutely creates a vivid atmosphere, and elicits uniformly first-rate acting from a stellar cast. Billy Williams' handsome, polished cinematography and Oscar Peterson's rousing, jazzy, elegant orchestral score are likewise strong and impressive. A pre-stardom John Candy has a small part as one of Miles' goofy fellow tellers. The occasional outbursts of brutal violence are genuinely shocking and upsetting. A real bang-up little thriller winner.

Everything Works-- Very Tense, Very Cool

[ghall3-3 · 9/10 · 24 March 2010]

I saw this movie when it was in the theater originally. I remembered liking it a great deal and had looked for it for a long time. Although I remembered it as being excellent, I was 17 when I saw it originally, and probably drunk. I wasn't sure I would like it nearly as well when I was 47 and sober.

I was very pleasantly surprised. Eliot Gould doesn't work for me all that often. Seems like he is unbelievable/miscast in most roles. This role is perfect for him and he does a great job. The only thing wrong with Christopher Plumber (Plummer?? I can't spell) is that he hasn't really gotten that many good roles. He has a great role in "The Silent Partner" and he swings hard and connects fully. He is completely believable and his eerie character is highly memorable.

I can't think of many movies that I consider true "sleepers"-- movies that are vastly better than you would think given the lack of public attention or critical acclaim. "The Silent Partner" is on that short list. In a way it kind of reminds me of two other movies on my very short "sleeper" list-- "Blood Simple" and "Miller's Crossing." Tough to call any Coen Bros. movie a sleeper, but those got way, way less acclaim than they deserved. The Silent Partner has a similar kind of eerie intrigue to those movies. It is more similar to Blood Simple than Miller's Crossing. The plot and characters in Miller's Crossing were pushed to the point of hyperbole--and that line was kept the whole movie, but never crossed to the point of eroding the suspense. But, The Silent Partner displays many of the same virtues Blood Simple and Miller's Crossing have. It cracks into my top 50 movies. If you watch it on DVD, treat it like you are at the theater-- dark room, no interruptions, etc. It would be a waste not to.

Clever cat-and-mouse psychological thriller.

[jckruize · 7/10 · 31 October 2001]

Modest but enjoyable suspenser was directed on location in Toronto by Daryl Duke, from an early scripting effort by Curtis Hanson. Elliott Gould gives one of his least casual performances as a bank teller who's a lot smarter than he looks. Christopher Plummer is his nemesis; a cold-blooded thief with a plan to hold up a bank at Christmas time dressed as a sidewalk Santa. Gould manages to turn the tables on him but then has to spend the rest of the film trying to evade both the criminal and the cops.

In my book, Plummer has always been most effective as a villain, and he looks like he's really having fun in this playing a sadistic psychopath. Watch out for that aquarium scene!

Clever story with a great bad guy!

[jbitt · 9/10 · 19 May 2000]

If you like your bad guys evil and believable, see Christopher Plummer do his thing in this entertaining film. The plot is very well conceived and the setting in Toronto is perfect. A word of warning to the sensitive -- watch out for a very attractive woman's encounter with a fish tank.

THE SILENT PARTNER (Daryl Duke, 1978) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 1 January 2012]

Like Hammer Films' CASH ON DEMAND (1961) which I watched earlier the same day, this is a bank heist thriller set during Christmastime but with the location transposed to Canada instead of Britain; the stars are New Yorker Elliott Gould, native Canadian Christopher Plummer and British Susannah Yorkalthough, truth be told, their limelight is somewhat stolen from right under their noses by sexy Canadian starlet Celine Lomez who is given ample opportunity to show off what Mother Nature provided her with! She would eventually be up for the role of TV's CHARLIE'S ANGELS cult series but she was deemed too hot for the small screen!! Incidentally, THE SILENT PARTNER also provides an early role for future burly star comedian John Candy (as a philandering banker).

Despite the Yuletide festivities going on and the presence of Gould, the film is no light-hearted affair and, indeed, is a pretty unpleasant one at times: apart from the abject use of recreational drugs and illicit sexual encounters taking place during a supposedly wholesome Christmas party, Plummer is a psychotic robber who takes to dressing up as Santa Claus in the vicinity of a bank branch housed inside a shopping mall before he is nabbed by the police for rape, assault and battery charges (towards a singing waitress in an episode that occurs inside a gym's sauna). Alerted to his criminal intentions by a note handed to him during an aborted robbery attempt, bank teller Gould outsmarts Plummer by handing him only a fraction of the loot on a subsequent retry while he does away with the lion's share of the stolen money. This does not sit in well with the increasingly impatient and unhinged Plummer (especially after learning, through a TV interview that acquires Gould instant celebrity status among his clientele, that the missing cash holdings amounted to around $50,000) who starts to pursue Gould by contacting him from a phone booth underneath his apartment and even raiding his home in search of the hidden cash.

To complicate matters further, fellow worker York (who is their boss' mistress) also starts getting interested in Gould but she cannot understand the way he brusquely cuts off an amorous dalliance (upon receiving yet another phone call from Plummer) or when he fails to identify him during a routine suspect identification parade down police headquarters. But, as already intimated above, Gould has his own scheme to ensure Plummer's capture but the latter has another trick up his sleeve as he send another waitress/lover (Lomez) to seduce Gould into revealing the whereabouts of the money. What he had not counted on was that the two would eventually fall for each other (after laying all the cards on the table - she had posed as a carer for the senile father he had just buried and, eventually, dresses up as a luscious, curly-haired and bespectacled safety deposit locker owner!) but Plummer soon reveals his utter ruthlessness by beheading(!) Lomez on the broken glass of Gould's beloved aquarium (having previously pinned his prized fish to the wall!) and presenting himself once again at the latter's counter in drag! Actually, Plummer's characterization had been rather flamboyant throughout - with prominent use of the eyeliner - so watching him dressed in women's clothing is not that much of a stretch as it might initially appear)! By this time, Gould has had enough and he sets off the alarm system - an action that is repaid by a bullet wound from Plummer's gun and the latter is in turn shot repeatedly by the bank's security guard while making his escape in a crowded escalator. Written by future director Curtis Hanson (of 1997's L. A. CONFIDENTIAL fame) and directed by Daryl Duke, the movie (which contrives a happy ending with an ambulance reunion between Gould and York with the money safely in tow!) emerged triumphant at the Canadian Film Awardsdespite falling somewhat between the cracks in the interim until a barebones DVD release brought it back into public availability.

Like a Game of Chess

[BaronBl00d · 8/10 · 10 April 2007]

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.

Good Thriller

[boblipton · 7/10 · 19 December 2020]

Christopher Plummer robs a bank branch at the Eaton Center. He gets away with about a couple of thousand dollars. Chief Teller Elliott Gould pockets $50,000..... Canadian, but even so. When the bank reports the total loss, Plummer, who has been quickly shown to be a sadist and murderer, wants all the money. He and Gould begin a cat-and-mouse game. However, who's the cat, and who the mouse?

I have some issues with the way beautiful women keep falling for awkward, aloof, intellectual Gould, but in this struggle between two unlikable men, the tally against Plummer keeps rising throughout. The struggle is quite cleverly done in a script co-written by Curtis Hanson. With Susannah York and John Candy.

For ONCE, FINALLY... An IMDb rating that actually befits the film! A very cleverly made Thriller...

[lathe-of-heaven · 8/10 · 14 July 2013]

Oh yes, this one is quite good. Very low key at first, but cleverly done. I'm impressed mainly because I usually do NOT like films from this period, unless they are all out Crime-Thriller / Grindhouse movies. Usually, during this time period the acting, and especially the writing is horribly dated, not to mention the extremely painful visual style of the time. BUT... I must admit that SOMEHOW this director had enough sense and forward vision to keep the aesthetics and tone of the actors and the film tightly engaging and powerfully gripping! I just watched a lovely HD print of the film and it looks VERY good, especially for it's age. The first few shots are kinda grainy and rough, but then the rest of the film looks great!

I don't even usually care for Elliot Gould's super bland style, but his performance here really does suit his character and fits well with the overall theme and tone of the film.

WAY more clever, tightly paced, believable, and MUCH, MUCH more satisfying than most films of this type made at this time. But, don't let the low key mood fool you; there are indeed some shocking jolts along the way. Christopher Plummer is quite a chilling and effective bad guy...

If you like caper films and cat & mouse intrigue, you should very much enjoy this movie. But... Do NOT expect the 'OCEAN'S 11' type of playful style at all. Nor is it even like the edgier 'CONFIDENCE' No, no... This one is deadly serious. But, with just the slightest touch of jet black humour in one or two places.

Most enjoyable and satisfying; highly recommended!

The Silent Partner

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 10 September 2020]

The elderly Alfred Hitchcock apparently wished he directed the script for The Silent Partner. That was how impressed he was with this movie when he saw it.

Writer Curtis Hanson was certainly inspired by Hitchcock in movies like The Silent Partner and The Bedroom Window.

Introverted bank teller Miles Cullen (Elliott Gould) anticipates that his bank will be robbed by a man dressed in a santa costume. So Miles hides a large sum of money in his lunch box. When the thief arrives, the alarm is triggered, he leaves and is blamed for the loss of the money.

The thief Harry Reikle (Christopher Plummer) does not like being duped. He is a sadist and tracks down Miles and demands his money back. However Miles sets Harry up for a van theft to get him out of the way.

Miles also needs to retrieve the stolen money which he has placed in the bank's safety deposit vault. That is operated by Julie Carver (Susannah York) a co-worker that Miles has been casually seeing.

After the death of Miles father in a care home, he meets nurse Elaine Muriel (Céline Lomez) and also has a fling with her. Miles has a suspicion that she is in cahoots with Harry.

The Silent Partner went under the radar and is now considered to be a cult classic. It features an early performance from John Candy. Céline Lomez is deliciously sultry.

Plummer is very evil and the movie does have some sadistic violence. This very much increases the peril that Miles is in. He is amoral betraying the trust of his employers and you think he is far over his head by going toe to toe with Harry.

The film is set in Toronto and it is a strange hybrid of thriller, romance and even sleazy horror.

Not a Comedy

[caspian1978 · 3/10 · 13 February 2005]

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.