"Give the man his goddamn doll."

This is a thriller in the same way Moby-Dick is an adventure tale, on paper about a team of heroes taking on a dastardly villain but in its substance and its details a story about hopeless tragedy and the differing responses people have to it. I've never been more shocked to find out a movie wasn't made in the 70s.

The last American hero. A melancholy, boozy beachside noir that lives in the shadow of Vietnam and treats its central mystery like an afterthought. Instead, it's all about commitment and purpose; a crippled war vet and his flighty floozy of an Ivy League burnout pal coming to terms with the fact that they self-actualized people they hate without even realizing it along the way. Arcs are certainly achieved, but also culminate in the bleakest final shot in all of cinema. A stunning work out of time. [35mm]

That’s right brother 🤟😎👊

John Heard gives maybe the greatest going-for-it performance of the 80s. I love this movie and its jet-black heart.

“I watched the war on TV just like everyone else. Thought the same damn things. You know, what you thought when you saw a picture of a young woman with a baby lying face down in a ditch. You had three reactions, Rich. Same as everybody else. First one was real easy: ‘I hate the United States of America.’ You see the same damn thing the next day and you move up a notch: ‘There is no God.’ But you know what you finally say, what everybody finally says? ‘I'm hungry.’”

Two cool dudes try to blackmail a California oligarch who may be guilty of murder. Yet another movie that makes me wish I lived in California.

The movie was good, but John Heard's performance is God Tier.

The scars and disillusionment left by the Vietnam War really made people question the integrity of America's political, social, and economic elites. Imagine the seething anger at the sheer BS of it all. This film kind of encapsulates that with its cozy Santa Barbara setting of sailboats, polo clubs, old money, parades, and impunity. Rarely have a place and a film been so well matched. John Heard's characterization of Alex Cutter captures the essence of that anger and disgust at the hypocrisy like few have. It's a compelleingly verbal and physical manifestation with his missing arm, leg, and eye, that really has a power unto itself. Step on a land mine in a war like Vietnam and return to Santa Barbara of the 1970s with its old money, what a great fucking subject for a film. This is like what Roman Polanski did with "Chinatown", only maybe even better.

What an incredible film, and one I do not feel confident in exploring too deeply without another viewing. I've only ever heard vague references to this film by a pocket of fervent supporters, but this strikes me as one of the great Vietnam movies, though Vietnam only ever haunts the movie in the spectre of its mangled title character. A post-Watergate noir in which its characters find a horrid focus in their aimless lives, turning stagnant intellectuals into active loons whose fight against corporate power is futile and insane regardless of whether they are even justified in so doing. Its conclusion shows a spineless playboy finally doing something with his life, even if it's the worst thing he could do.

This was included in a weird John Heard double feature DVD that also included Chilly Scenes of Winter. I definitely enjoyed this film less than CSOW, but the performances are strong even when the script isn't and if you have an affection for sun-soaked 80's neo-noirs like I do, it won't matter. It has one of those abrupt endings that you'll initially hate but works better if you give it some time to marinate.

John Heard deserved a better career than to be known for the father of a spoiled brat at home alone. If you have time, this is available on Amazon Prime. This, to me, is the best of the film noir genre.

“It was him! It was HIM!”
Pause
“It was you.”
“What if it were?”

PERFECT.

Despite the funny dialogue and Californian sunshine this is a really melancholy film. You never actually see any of the investigative work taking place and the plot is pretty thin. You're never sure if the bad guy actually is a bad guy or just a projection of the characters' anger/disillusionment.

au

moram opet da odgledam

vrlo moguće jedan od par ključnih “američkih” filmova

I’m not concerned with whether or not this film chooses to condemn or glorify Cutter, but I’m not buying that any of these other characters would be able to tolerate his bullshit for even an hour. In reality, this is a friendless idiot. I’m fine watching him (especially since John Heard gives a pretty fantastic performance), but I think what made it all feel like a waste of time was making it to the end credits with my prayers for any sign of pathos being unanswered. Maybe next time, huh Lord?

They really don't make movies like Cutter's Way anymore. The last of the 70s films, made in 1981. Heard's performance is amazing.

It's kind of suspenseful crime or you can say investigative drama.

The kind of suspense you can feel even in bonding between characters like they have so much inside & not giving it away that's why at some point it feels like dry. Though it's ending is not upto the mark not only because of the plot but also few characters didn't take very well on it. Btw dialogues are convincing as its based on the novel.

Overall performances are good excluding the villain character. I like Lisa eichhorn (mo) performance in this movie because it is kind of she assimilated all of it. John heard (cutter) on the other hand gave great performance. Jeff (bone) is like not taking it on sometimes.

I love a shaggy detective story, but usually if the mystery is not all that important, the characters are great.  Not so with this movie.  It can’t make up its mind if it wants to be CALIFORNIA SPLIT (a fun hang with well-drawn characters) or CHINATOWN (a complicated plot that is ultimately satisfying) and It’s about 10% as interesting as either of those.  Jeff Bridges is fine, but Lisa Eichhorn is not great and John Heard is painfully bad. It was a chore to finish this.

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.