Ivan Passer the director of Cutter's Way, was a Czech film director and screenwriter and friend of eminent Czech director Milos Foreman. His real claim to fame was that he co-wrote some of Forman's earlier Czech films, before both men came to work in America. There the similarities end. Foreman made some classics including One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, whilst Passer made a bunch of duds, the best known of which is arguably Cutter's Way.

To read reviewers on these pages comparing this film to 70's classics such as Chinatown, The Parallax View and Night Moves is just breathtakingly laughable. There was a reason United Artists wanted nothing to do with the completed film they received, even changing the title mid-release and that's because they realised they had a giant turkey on their hands.

Passer tries to perhaps best emulate Antonioni's Blow-up in having Cutter, Bone and the infamously disappearing sister Valerie, "investigate" (what ends up being just a clumsy blackmail attempt) the murder of Valerie's sister, which Bone may have witnessed, but, like the characters themselves, there is no compelling reason to care. There's not even an air of mystery surrounding the storyline of this utterly misdescribed as, "thriller". The narrative ends up focusing more on how odious the lead characters are. John Heard's Cutter is just a crippled, embittered, alcoholic Vietnam veteran who beats his long-suffering wife, when not causing mayhem to his neighbours. Bone is just a slacker gigolo, seemingly prepared to bed any woman in his vicinity. Think Seth Rogen trying to be semi-serious in a disinterested manner. And Valerie doesn't seem the least bit perturbed by her sister's demise. She just seems to be along for the ride (until she unexplainably disappears in the third act) and cosying up to Jeff Bridges's Richard Bone.

One of the many problems the script faces as well, is that we are never given any real reason, why the completely mis-matched Cutter and Bone are such supposedly great friends. Throw into this dynamic duo, the oddity represented by Arthur Rosenberg's George Swanson. Again, there is never any reason why this wealthy boat builder/retailer is friends with either of them. He just appears to serve as a functionary to allow certain scenes to occur in the movie.

Don't be fooled. The old truism still applies. If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, is completely unloved and disowned by its parent studio, then it probably is a duck of a film. This is the reality of Cutter's Way. It ain't no unfairly overlooked classic!

Cutter is one of the most misanthropic characters in American film. He makes Ratso Rizzo look like a nice guy. Bone is an empty hedonist with a degree from an Ivy League college. Together they wreak havoc on my sensibilities, on my patience, on my good will. The presence of Lisa Eichhorn, always graceful and moving, does not make this movie really bearable. I gave up after an hour. Nice cinematography though.

Update: I went back to watch it til the end. My opinion hasn't changed. Some excellent acting from Bridges and Eichhorn doesn't make up for Passer's clumsy direction and lack of attention to dramatic values. One glaring flaw: Swanson's disclosure scene, in which he is supposed to discover the missing pieces to his life is so badly handled that it hardly makes sense at all. Watch Chinatown instead for an analysis of corruption in Los Angeles, and Night Moves for exciting action and vicious humour.

Alex Cutter (John Heard) is a drunken disabled war veteran. His wife Mo (Lisa Eichorn) is also a drunken mess. Their best friend Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges) is a witness to a murder, and he thinks that the killer is this powerful oil tycoon JJ Cord (Stephen Elliott). Cutter refuses to let it go, and together with the victim's sister Valerie Duran (Ann Dusenberry) harasses Bone to get JJ.

The main drawback is that their plan was never going to work. If they really thought about it, they would see it as a fool's errand. The plan actually insulates JJ from any testimony from Bone. The plan actually helps JJ.

However we know Cutter is a drunk bastard. So I'm willing to believe that he would come up with a poorly constructed plan. It's the acting that is so superior in this. John Heard really goes all out, and Jeff Bridges' calmness makes them the perfect duo. I just love how crazy John Heard gets. He really shines.