Cutter's Way

source: Cutter's Way

Trailer—Cutter's Way

Cutter's Way

I think this movie is overrated, it's not at all "important". as some people seem to believe. It's not all bad though. I saw this in the theater when it originally came out and wasn't impressed much. The performances are fine, but there is something about it, even after seeing it probably six times over the years, that makes me not give a damn about it. Maybe it's just the general "downer" theme, I don't really know what it is. I'm not a young person who finds movies like "The Godfather" too slow, because they actually tell a story, but this movie seems way too long. Not worth watching again, I don't think I will suddenly say, "Wow, I missed that!", but worth watching at least once.

This is an excellent movie and one of the most consistently underrated. John Heard has never been better, and he is (alongside the late J.T. Walsh) amongst the most under-appreciated actors ever (one of the few mistakes in 'The Sopranos' was to let him go). However, Jeff Bridges yet again proves his credentials by turning in a beautifully nuanced performance as an unattractive, self-absorbed failed playboy in counterpoint to Heard's righteous crippled Vietnam veteran. This is a companion piece to 'Chinatown' in its study of corrupt power structures, but is more intimate and believable (and 'Chinatown' is superb). We still wait for its recent equal in the noir stakes.

The production values of a Magnum P. I. episode, acting akin to an SCTV movie spoof and a score that sounds ''haunting" (to quote TCM's Eddie Mueller) only in the sense it's going to haunt me in my sleep. Granted, I have to admitthat - as usual - Jeff Bridges rises well above the material. Everybody else belongs in a Mannix episode. And while I'm here: What's ambiguous about the ending? More to the point, who gives a shyt at that point? Pretty much a laughably inept movie.

John Heard is excellent, giving off a feisty performance in the title role of this quite intriguing little thriller. It is a bit too meandering to properly keep up the suspense and thrills, however there are still some moments of excitement, and there are also some interesting philosophies, especially about justice in the world. It only has a very run-of-the-mill mystery driving the plot, but there is still enough to the film for it rise above the norm. Although some aspects of Heard's character are not credible, he is an certainly interesting element, and at the very least, the film manages to end on a powerful note.

Cutter is one of the most misanthropic characters in American film. He makes Ratso Rizzo look like a nice guy. Bone is an empty hedonist with a degree from an Ivy League college. Together they wreak havoc on my sensibilities, on my patience, on my good will. The presence of Lisa Eichhorn, always graceful and moving, does not make this movie really bearable. I gave up after an hour. Nice cinematography though. Update: I went back to watch it til the end. My opinion hasn't changed. Some excellent acting from Bridges and Eichhorn doesn't make up for Passer's clumsy direction and lack of attention to dramatic values. One glaring flaw: Swanson's disclosure scene, in which he is supposed to discover the missing pieces to his life is so badly handled that it hardly makes sense at all. Watch Chinatown instead for an analysis of corruption in Los Angeles, and Night Moves for exciting action and vicious humour.

This movie is beautifully shot with a great score that sounds unlike any other score I've ever heard. Then you have a great performance from John Heard and a great screenplay that obviously had a tremendous novel behind it. If you like those gritty late 70s early 80s California noir movies like Straight Time, Who'll Stop The Rain and Chinatown, this is as good as any of those. I have just watched it and I don't think I will forget it anytime soon. It's packed with memorable moments and fully-developed characters. They don't make movies like this anymore. It makes me wonder what Jeff Bridges thinks about on the set of Iron Man 2 - I've never been a huge fan but the guy did a string of great dramas in the 80s like Fabulous Baker Boys, American Heart and this. He must be thinking "what happened to all those good scripts that used to be knocking around??"