Superficially a simple tale of murder, blackmail and revenge, this multi-layered thriller that also explores tangled relationships was panned by the critics on its first release. Re-titled (original title: Cutter and Bone) and re-released, it gradually gained favour, eventually winning a hatful of awards at the Houston Film Festival. Jeff Bridges and John Heard are the two anti-heroes who find the identity of a killer - a wealthy oil tycoon - and try to blackmail him. When things go wrong, they have to change their plans. There are fine performances from Bridges and Heard and Lisa Eichhorn as Heard's wife. Czech director Ivan Passer gives a new slant to the American dream here and creates something special in the process.

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