A very sinister, old-fashioned thriller which, though riddled with familiar plot devices and predictable developments, still works admirably under Robert Benton's direction. Roy Scheider, whose hair varies alarmingly between brown and grey from scene to scene (affected perhaps by his harrowing experiences and foolish ventures down dark alleyways), plays a psychiatrist who finds that one of his patients has been stabbed to death. He meets the victim's strange, bird-like mistress (Meryl Streep) and becomes attracted to her... Benton's excellent direction of subsequent events maximises the suspense: a dream sequence, which proves very relevant to the plot, is especially well handled. So whodunit? It would be a sin to give Benton's secret away, but you should beware the obvious. Scheider is super as the puzzled psychiatrist, while Joseph Sommer gives an outstanding performance as the murdered George.

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