Review of The Silent Partner (1978) by Trent R — 03 May 2011

York's poor chemistry with Gould may begin to look planned at the midpoint, but ultimately brings down this promising Canadian remake of a Danish crime thriller. In the end, we're more in Laughing Policeman territory than American Friend, with a functional but lesser buddy co-worker mechanic instead of an emotional hook. Billy Williams' cinematography (Kid Blue, Tam Lin) is superb, and the suspenseful crime sequences work excellently in the contrasting mall/Christmas consumption setting.

Celine Lomez has much better chemistry than York, and her arrival picks up the dramatic pace while bringing Plummer's creepy sadomasochism to a head. His villainy carries the end, but the romantic subplot does not convince and the result lacks some of the emotional depth one might wish.