Review of Cutter's Way (1981) by Stephen E — 17 Dec 2011

One rainy night, country-club gigolo Richard Bone's (Jeff Bridges) car breaks down in an alleyway. He spots a large, mysterious car in the distance. A man dumps something into a garbage can. At first, Bone thinks nothing of it and proceeds to meet his friend, the one-eyed, one-legged, one-armed Vietnam-veteran high-school buddy Alex Cutter (John Heard). The next day, a young girl is found brutally murdered in the same alleyway where Bone abandoned his car. He becomes a suspect. When Bone spots the man he thinks is the murderer in a parade later that day - local tycoon J.J. Cord (Stephen Elliott) - Cutter begins to take an interest in the mystery that unfolds. His interest soon becomes a conspiracy theory that develops into a troublesome investigation with his skeptical friend and the dead girl's sister (Ann Dusenberry) along for the ride while Cutter´s abused and defeated, alcoholic wife Mo (Lisa Eichhorn) becomes the link in the middle.

Finally I have seen "Cutter´s Way" after years on my "to see" list. I have red some raving reviews on this movie and I was expecting one of those fine 80s thrillers that we don´t get to see anymore. But, to be honest, I think this flick hasn´t aged very well. It might have been an experience back in 1981, but in 2011 it´s not holding up that well in my book. Nothing wrong with the trio Bridges, Heard and Eichhorn, but the plot is blend, vague and not very exciting. We see the classic corrupt power structure and how one man can lose himself in conspiracy theories. Thus, nothing special and the storyline doesn´t make it more exciting. As said, the years has not been too good on "Cutter´s Way". A neutral 3 is all it gets from me.