Watch The Silent Partner

The Silent Partner is a 1978 thriller directed by Daryl Duke and starring Elliott Gould and Christopher Plummer. The film is set in Toronto and revolves around a bank teller named Miles, played by Gould, who discovers that a robber is planning to rob his bank on Christmas Eve. Miles decides to keep the information to himself and plans on stealing the money himself, thereby setting off a tense game of cat and mouse with the criminal, played by Plummer.

The movie begins with a bank robbery that sets the tone for the rest of the film. Christopher Plummer plays Harry Reikle, a criminal mastermind, who manages to rob the bank and get away with the money. However, Miles, the bank teller, manages to discreetly remove some of the currency before it is handed over to the robber. Realizing that he has made a grave mistake by robbing a fellow criminal instead of an unsuspecting bank, Harry shows up at the same bank shortly after the robbery, pretending to be a customer, in an attempt to gain access to the vault to then rob it again. Meanwhile, Miles is busy planning his own heist, knowing that the robber will show up again.

The plot of The Silent Partner is not only about the robberies and the perilous game of deception between Miles and Harry. There are complex relationships at work between several of the key characters. Miles has a rather odd relationship with his co-worker and love interest, Julie, who is played by Susannah York. She is flirtatious and seems to be attracted to Miles, but Miles seems distant and aloof. Meanwhile, Harry Reikle is a fascinating character. Plummer does a fantastic job in bringing this psychopathic criminal to life. His performance is frightening and unsettling, but it is also darkly comedic in nature.

The Silent Partner is a tightly edited and well-paced thriller, with a screenplay that is full of intrigue and suspense. The film's climax is one of the most memorable moments in the movie, as the tension reaches a fever pitch, and we hold our breaths, wondering who will come out on top. The Silent Partner is a film that is an excellent example of the tense thrillers that were so popular in the 1970s, with a twist ending that will leave audiences reeling.

One of the things that make The Silent Partner so memorable is its setting. Most thrillers set during this era tended to focus on the seedy underbelly of the big cities in America. However, this movie takes place in Toronto, a city not often used as the setting for a thriller. Director Daryl Duke does an excellent job of portraying the city as a nondescript metropolis, and it becomes a character in itself, a place of both comfort and danger, familiar faces, and unknown dangers.

The production values of The Silent Partner are excellent, with the film being shot to achieve a cold and bleak, winter-capped look. The interiors of the bank, which set the scene and tone for the film, are claustrophobic and dimly lit, which adds to the tension and suspense. The film's score, composed by Oscar-winning composer Oscar Peterson, adds to the overall feeling of suspense.

In conclusion, The Silent Partner is a fantastic slow-burning thriller with excellent performances, taut direction, and a twist ending that will stick with you long after the credits roll. The film delivers tension and suspense, and it is a genuinely thrilling ride. Directed by Daryl Duke and with standout performances from Elliot Gould and Christopher Plummer, The Silent Partner is a must-watch for fans of the genre or for anyone looking for a well-crafted thriller.