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Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer, Susannah York, Céline Lomez, John Candy ... see more see more... , Gail Dahms , Michael Donahue , Jack Duffy , Nancy Simmonds , Nuala Fitzgerald , Aino Pirskanen , Michele Rosen , Sandy Crawley , Jan Campbell , Jimmy Davidson , Eve Norman , John Kerr (II) , Sue Lumsden , Candace O'Connor , Stephen Levy , Michael Kirby , Ken Pogue , Guy Sanvido , Sean Sullivan , Charlotte Blunt

The Canadian "sleeper" The Silent Partner stars Elliott Gould as a teller, Miles Cullen, who figures out psycho Harry Reikle's (Christopher Plummer) scheme to rob his bank, several days ahead of time.... read more read more... Cullen providently squirrels away 50,000 dollars in a safety-deposit box before Reikle strikes. After the robbery, the papers report the amount of the bank's loss. Reikle realizes that there's 50,000 extra bucks floating around that he hasn't gotten his hands on. The soft-spoken but sadistic Reikle puts the screws on Cullen to fork over the dough -- but Cullen has lost the deposit-box key. Be forewarned: this one gets extremely brutal and bloody at times, with sudden bursts of graphic violence. Also featured is Susannah York as the fluctuating-loyalty heroine, and a very young and hairy John Candy. Future L.A. Confidential scribe Curtis Hanson loosely adapted the Danish novel Think of a Number, by Anders Bodelsen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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80% liked it

407 ratings

R, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Daryl Duke

Release Date: September 7, 1978

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DVD Release Date: April 3, 2007

Stats: 67 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (67)

  • jjnxn
    February 24, 2012
    jjnxn
    Good measured heist film with a competent cast is only slightly marred by the inclusion of some unnecessary violence. Obscure film that is worth seeking out.
  • harrycaul
    January 16, 2011
    harrycaul
    If I had to pick a single movie to remember Susannah York by it would be Robert Altman's little-seen but utterly brilliant Images. To be quite honest, sweet and appealing though her character is, she's kind of wasted here. However, as not many of my friends have seen it, a... read morend as it has some very interesting credits, I thought I would recommend this nifty Canadian thriller instead. It was scripted by Curtis Hanson, who would go on to direct, among other things, L.A. Confidential and Wonder Boys, it features an early appearance by John Candy and its score was composed by jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. The ingenious plot has bank teller Elliott Gould pre-empting a robbery, filling his own pockets first and leaving hapless robber Christopher Plummer to take all of the blame but precious little of the loot. Predictably, Plummer, a psychopath, realises he's been duped and comes looking for the rest of 'his' money... The first half of the movie, in which Gould and Plummer play cat and mouse, repeatedly turning the tables on one another, is brilliant and gloriously entertaining; sadly, the plotting starts to wobble in the last hour and silliness creeps in. The film's fatal flaw, however, is that it cannot seem to decide how light or dark it wants to be, resulting in some jarring shifts in tone and some thoroughly gratuitous, nasty, misogynistic violence. Gould is okay but has been more charming elsewhere; Susannah York is, as I've said, good but underused; Plummer, however, hams it up a treat as the villain.
  • ajv2688
    January 5, 2011
    ajv2688
    A pretty good thriller with a nice cast, but it could have been better. Most of it is actually pretty predictable, and some scenes are slow, but there are also some very good thrilling scenes too. Overall, it could be better.
  • oakman67
    January 22, 2012
    oakman67
    A inventive cat and mouse thriller from the late seventies featuring Elliot Gould as a lonely bank teller who matches wits with violent and dangerous bank robber played masterfully by Christopher Plummer. Gould was a big star in the seventies and his character is a unlikey unconv... read moreentional hero and it works because of his acting talent. Susannah York is good as the object of Gould's affections. The film also features a early performance from John Candy. The film turns very violent and gruesome and maybe tainted me enjoying it more than I did.
  • jjb3332003
    November 8, 2011
    jjb3332003
    I was hoping for a bit more. The premise was intriguing and it had its moments, but overall the execution left a bit in the vault.
  • GabrielKnight
    July 11, 2011
    GabrielKnight
    A decent caper, never boring and will keep you glued to the screen. The plot unfortunately has major holes, but still a decent movie with a very 70's feel.
  • DanielECox8
    September 9, 2010
    DanielECox8
    Thrilling, Imaginative. This movie sneaks up on you. Crescendos towards the end. Christopher Plummer and Elliot Gould's star power shines through as their two characters battle it out for supremacy. 83% User Rating!
  • kingmob6
    January 9, 2010
    kingmob6
    Elliot Gould is awesome in this bank heist film. He plays a bank teller, unhappy in his job and suspecting that the bank is soon to be robbed, he spends a day squirreling away cash, which he keeps and allows the authorities to think was taken by the bank robber, played by a menac... read moreing Christopher Plummer.

    Plummer sees Gould on the news and begins to harass him, as he realizes that his haul was extraordinarily light once he goes through his cash.

    An interesting cat & mouse game ensues as each man tries to outmaneuver the other. The film was really a fun ride and well worth a rental.

    Check this one out.
  • Wileoese
    April 19, 2009
    Wileoese
    A surprisingly good movie about a bank teller who becomes part of a bank robbery without the bank robbers knowledge. There was a few things that didn't make sense but overall it kept me wanting to see more.

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Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz
April 25, 2007
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Overcooked with a murky plot. Full Review

February 23, 2012
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

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