A thriller with an intriguing premise, no car chases, no explosions, and no gunfire: I thought this would be my kind of film. I like suspense without the violence and machismo that are so prevalent in today's cinemas. The trouble is, a promising set-up quickly gives up all its secrets and gives way to a cat and mouse chase with surprisingly little invention in the methods of hiding or seeking.
The story mostly plays out as one expects, and the stakes are not high enough that one ever senses danger or imminent tragedy. The most interesting, unexpected strand of the story relates to an adopted daughter who may soon be reunited with her birth-parents. This story had the most emotional weight, but was handled in a very odd manner. Eventually she finds out who her parents are but I got the impression she did not care to find out. That is not much of a resolution, but it is where that story ended. Things could have got interesting, had she met one or both of her parents. That was literally the only thing I wanted to happen in this whole film, and it didn't, so I felt ripped off.
Of course, the performances are strong and Robert Redford remains as charming as ever. Julie Christie steals every scene she is in. I even enjoyed Shia LaBeouoiuoaaueeoueuf and his struggle to be likeable. The actors just weren't given much to work with.
If I were at home and bored and channel-surfing and this film just happened to come on and I watched it and it helped the evening pass pleasantly, I would probably enjoy it very much. Because I made more than zero effort to see it, it did not quite seem worth it.
By the way, the main reason I wanted to see this film is that it was being filmed in Vancouver while I lived there. I enjoyed trying to pick the locations. I even spotted a UBC sign at the "University of Michigan".
See this film if you have a remote control and can fast-forward through the slump in the middle, and re-watch every scene in which Christie appears.
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