PIC of the Week – The Silent Partner
Article series by Ray Schillaci
One of the more enjoyable and effective thrillers from the late ‘70s, The Silent Partner, has finally made its debut on Blu courtesy of KL Studio Classics (Kino Lorber). This is a great cat-and-mouse crime drama with an excellent cast that includes a notable fun loving John Candy (SCTV, Planes, Trains & Automobiles). Although, it may throw some off since the film has an American feel, especially with its American star, Elliot Gould. But, this is actually a Canadian production. Not only shot in Canada, but the money involved in the dangerous game between killer and foil are Canadian dollars.
Elliot Gould plays Miles Cullen, the hapless teller, at a small bank in a large mall who gets a heads up on an imminent robbery. Miles is an unassuming, simple man who has social issues, having better luck purchasing fish for his hobby than picking up women. Rather than inform the bank, Miles decides to cheat the robber by slipping a good part of the deposits away for himself. Once the robbery is committed, the perpetrator discovers he’s out thousands of dollars, and is blamed for the full amount. From there, Miles becomes aware that his little scheme is far more complicated since the thief is actually a malicious killer.
Christopher Plummer, most notable these days as the man who replaced Kevin Spacey as J. Paul Getty in All the Money in the World, is deliciously insidious as Reikle, the cat-like thief with a sadistic flair. The man is one frightening presence and at first has us feel that Elliot Gould is no match for him. But, Gould has a somewhat honest and goofy Stan Laurel presence that surprised me at every turn. From the beginning, these two are fascinating to watch with their one-upmanship.
Visually, here’s the downside, this 1080p transfer is just not up to snuff. Is it better than the DVD? Yeah, it has a slight edge. There is a definite improvement in certain scenes, but the opening feels highly dated, almost washed out at times. There are ’70s films out on Blu that look great and still beautifully capture the feel of that era, then there are films like this one where we would welcome an improvement.
Surprisingly, the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 has quite a bit of depth and clarity. Dialogue is crisp. No need for subtitles, but they are given as an option. It appears that the sound has been given far more care than the visual or perhaps it’s just what was available at the time.
Add to this sparse extras, only providing a commentary track by three film historians and a very short somewhat boring interview with star Elliot Gould, reminiscing about his co-stars and the director. Even with its flaws, The Silent Partner is a must for any ’70s film enthusiasts, and it’s a very intense thrilling ride with Christopher Plummer giving just as dark of a picture of a psycho years earlier than Hopkins from The Silence of the Lambs. If not a purchase, this one is definitely one to catch to get your heart racing.
Lowest Price – $16.32 – Barnes & Noble
