Wednesday 22 June 2011

Cutter's Way

It is to my great shame that I had not before seen 1981's Cutter's Way, currently enjoying a UK theatrical re-release thanks to those nice people at the BFI.


It's a late-flowering noir, accurately described by them as a "taut crime drama [which] is also an unusually rich, resonant study of embittered vengeance and emotional and moral lassitude".


It's also a powerful study of the different moral codes that apply to the rich and the not-rich, to people with disabilities and people without them, to givers and takers. All driven by powerhouse acting from Jeff Bridges (and his crippled Vietnam veteran buddy played by John Heard).


This is a grown-up film, visually rich (and making the most of its lush, sun-drenched Santa Barbara setting), but light of touch, too.

Hugely, hugely enjoyable.

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