Partners in Crime

Rutger Hauer solves a chilly murder mystery set in rural Utah in Partners In Crime, a low budget DTV thriller that is, thankfully, a lot better than some of the same type of flicks he's found himself in over the years. He plays county sheriff in a small community where a rich newcomer has been kidnapped and menacing ransom demands are sent that may have ties to a murder years before. An FBI agent (Paulina Porizkova) flies into town who also happens to be his ex girlfriend from a decade back, causing additional friction beyond the investigation itself. Now, the intrigue here is a tad vague and not the most scintillating mystery until the third act drums up an eventual antagonist for Hauer to face off against, but the real fascination here lies in the relationship with his preteen daughter (Sarah Ashley), full of genuine affection and really good chemistry between the two actors. Rutger so often just plays larger than life villains and when he does get to be the hero it's still within very stylized, often sci-fi settings that don't lend themselves to the subtlety of real life human drama. This is an exception though and he's a joy to watch as a kind, compassionate, down to earth small town lawman just trying to keep his community safe and be good dad to his kid. That's enough to make it a great film for me. Streaming now for free on YouTube.

"Partners in Crime" is a surprisingly good little movie. Okay, you know who the villain is in the first half hour, but the story still contains enough surprises to be interesting. Rutger Hauer (who's one of my favorite actors even in bad movies) is very good as a small town detective who's reunited with his ex-wife, a successful FBI agent. He has great scenes with the actress who plays the ex-wife and with the young girl who plays his daughter from a subsequent marriage. For a film that's marketed as a B-movie action flick, there is actually a great deal of character development and some very good performances. If you're bored with everything in the new releases section at the video store, try this one.

This one plays like a Made-for-TV Movie with an Uninspired Look and So-So Story. The Acting is Fine with an Exceptional and Truly Believable Performance from Sarah Ashley as Rutger Hauer's Daughter.

The Plot Trots along and is not as Interesting as the Character Relationships and things never Accelerate until the final Scenes. There aren't enough Red Herrings to make it Intriguing, and the lack of Suspects is Unforgivable and anyone would be hard pressed to think that the Frame is anything but, and herein lacks the Suspense and Mystery.

Not a Bad Movie but is so Lackadaisical it hardly ever moves Beyond its Mediocrity. For Rutger Hauer Fans or those wanting a Smooth, Bloodless, and Unchallenging Who-Done-It.

I was completely captivated by this movie. For what in year's gone by would have constituted a B movie or secondary feature, this film was excellent down the line. The story is crisp, and without slow spots. The acting is uniformly excellent. And to look at Paulina Porizkova is heavenly. Rutger Hauer is always good, and all acting is under control. The children in this are terrific, especially a beautiful performance by Hauer,s daughter. The directing is superlative; even the dog wasn't obviously looking at his handler off-screen. The pace, photography, sets, were of the highest order. You can watch this one over and over and still enjoy it. Bravo.

Acting was impeccable. Hauer conveyed his emotions as ex husband and father in a very convincing way. His daughter was also great in the role. Paulina was lovely as always and the rest of the cast did the job more than fine.

Dialogues are sparky, fast, intelligent, brilliant. Landscapes also help.

To some extent, this film looks like a made-for-TV crime story produced by Hallmark, but it was so succesful that I wouldn't complain.

The bad guy came as a far fetched choice, but often they are in this type of whodonits. Seat back, relax and enjoy.