Cutter’s Way – Review

Cutter’s Way is a winding drama with some crime and noir mixed into the background, all based on a novel called Cutter & Bone, about two friends. Well, I guess they are friends. They hang out together throughout the film, but I am not sure exactly why people necessarily hang out with Alex Cutter (Heard), a Vietnam veteran who now stateside is a drunken mess of a human being in the early 80s. While he did make it home to California, he is missing his left eye, his left arm, and his left leg.

Richard Bone (Bridges) however lives a slightly different life, gigolo-ing it up on the daily, or I guess nightly, and zipping around in a green Austin-Healey. Alex is married to Maureen, or Mo (Eichhorn), who also knows Rich, and the trio sometimes are able to hang out without too much drama or drunken insanity. Life is semi-normal until one dark and rainy night when Bone’s green convertible car craps out in an alleyway. He sees something dumped into a trashcan by a nicer snooty rich man vehicle. What did he really see? What will this lead to? And… what does having an absolute wild card friend like Alex Cutter in the wheelhouse mean? All bets are off.

Cutter’s Way is a bleak drama at times that deals with some traumatic topics, but it is also a very interesting criminal tale with quite a haunting resolve. The script shows why the actors wanted to be involved since it gives them so much range to go through on screen, however it does focus on plenty of emotional and psychological territory as opposed to tense criminal action and shootouts for those seeking gunfire and car chases or deep diving mysteries this won’t have much on that side.

When the criminal sides of the story are considered however, they are fairly bleak and realistic, and handled in such a manner. The elements do make for an interesting film and plot, as well as character motivation, but in more of an obsessive or true crime presentation, for me at least. It makes for an interesting atmosphere, and unsettling resolution.

This film is a good actor’s showcase and solid crime drama. It is a quality presentation, even if it doesn’t quite reach an exceptional level with its story, there is plenty of strong acting and intriguing topical explorations to make it worth a consideration.