Switchback

Switchback was an enjoyable mystery/thriller with a few nice action sequences. Quaid's character seemed a bit cliche to me (like he was impersonating a dour Harrison Ford) but Glover's character was unique and interesting. This movie didn't have a lot of surprises or plot twists, but director Jeb Stuart managed to keep my interest high by using well drawn and likeable characters and by keeping a lot of balls in the air from the beginning of the movie. With the exception of the serial killer himself, the conflicting motivations of the characters played well with the story and provided plenty of tension. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of the serial killer himself. This is possibly the first movie I've seen where the killer had a human face and was not a psycho mastermind genius or a low-life loner with a chip the size of Manhattan on his shoulder.

Switchback is one of my favourite 'serial killer vs. cop' thrillers of the 90's, and has seemingly slipped through the cracks these days. It has a special place in my heart, because as a kid my father would take me to his office at work, where I would catch a lot of cool movies on what was back then called 'TBS Superstation'. I once saw a few quick moments of this one, and wondered for years what film it was. A couple years back I tracked this one down because it stars a bunch of actors I really like, and was pleasantly surprised to have my childhood memory jogged, and finally find out what movie I had seen. It's got a solid, able bodied cast that's speckled with both prominent, square jawed leading dudes and some salty character actors as well, to spice things up. The film starts off as jovial Bob Goodall (Danny Glover) picks up mysterious hitchhiker Lane Dixon (Jared Leto) somewhere in the remote northwest. The two strike up a rapport, but we know that one or both will ultimately figure in the other half of the story, where things get decidedly sinister. Many miles away in another state, renegade FBI agent Frank Lacrosse (Dennis Quaid, turning off his smiling charm a quiet, smouldering turn as a guy at the end of his rope) searches for his infant son, who was kidnapped several years before by a dangerous serial killer. His search leads him to Amarillo, Texas, where he's both aided and stymied by local law enforcement. Kind, caring Sheriff Buck Olmstead (R. Lee Ermey, one my favourite character actors) and his deputy Nate Booker (Ted Levine, always reliable) do all they can for him, but in the midst of a reelection, their efforts are somewhat sabotaged by rival candidate Jack McGinnis (William Fichtner), causing delay in the investigation. Meanwhile, Glover and Leto draw closer and closer to a violent conclusion as the tension grows, inevitably tying in with Quaid's story. It's a crisp, no nonsense thriller that wastes no time bounding out of the gate, and yet never feels rushed. As Glover and Leto travel we are treated to some gorgeous, snowy Colorado scenery, captured nicely by DOP Oliver Wood. I revisit this one from time to time and am never let down at its tension, performances and skillful execution. A fair bit overlooked in thriller-ville as well, I might add.

As a thriller, this had some holes. For starters, Stuart identifies the killer too early (at least, I figured it out), so some tension is robbed). The postcard thing never really made any sense to me. And though it's clear who the killer is, his identity raises questions about how Quaid's son is kept without the authorities knowing. But I can forgive a lot of that because we care about the characters. Quaid, Ermey, and Glover, are three of our finest character actors, and they make us interested in their characters. Also, Ted Levine offers fine support, and Jared Leto creates mystery in his role when there wasn't a whole lot written in.

Wow, this is an intense story that should keep you interested for the full two hours. The five main roles are all men and they are pretty interesting, led by Danny Glover's character, who is very, very creepy.

I'm hesitant to say much about this film for fear of giving anything away for those who have not seen it. Suffice to say its a rough movie in regards to language, violence and general attitude but the story grabs you quickly and is tough to put down once you are into it.

One complaint I read said this film never made it big because it was too convoluted a storyline. In fact, the story isn't really pieced together until the last few minutes. Well, a lot of films over the years were like that (Charlie Chan and Sherlock Holmes mysteries, just to name two) and no one complained.

The fact that FBI agent Dennis Quaid would figure things out to the exact minute does stretch credibility so don't look for a film that makes a lot of sense: it's simply a very tense thriller that entertains, so it serves its purpose.

Lee Ermey, the fanatical drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket, also is fun to watch in here. Jared Leto and Ted Levine also contribute nicely. It's a man's film, for the most part and an effective diversion for two hours.

I liked just about every aspect of this movie. The local police aren't portrayed as a bunch of inbred idiots, the killer isn't portrayed as maniacal and impersonable, and the FBI agent isn't just a suit with all the personality of a tube of toothpaste. All of these combine to make a refreshing murder mystery/thriller. This isn't the classic "who dun it?" type of murder mystery; rather, it is more in the flavor of "Silence of the Lambs", where we discover who the killer is long before the end of the movie, and the suspense comes from anticipating the hero catching the villain.