124 - Cutter's Way (1981)

DVD Box
After a girl is murdered, Richard Bone and Alex Cutter decide to investigate.

Cutter (John Heard) is a Vietnam war veteran who is minus an arm, a leg and an eye. His friend Bone (Jeff Bridges), a boat salesman and part time gigolo, spots a body being dumped and Cutter takes it upon himself to bring the killer to justice.

Cutter's cynical wife Mo (Lisa Eichhorn) and Bone are dragged along for the ride as they accuse one of the wealthiest businessmen in the region - JJ Cord (Stephen Elliott) - of being involved... but it seems that they have bitten off more than they can chew.
Theatrical Poster
Source: Wikipedia

Cutter's Way is a very different buddy movie, focusing less on the humour and banter between the man characters and more between their shortcomings as people. Bone, who would like nothing more than to get his leg over Cutter's wife is surpassed in fault by Cutter's vendetta against the world having felt that it is against him having lost half of his body in the War.

There are some scenes that will stay with you after the film (Cutter returning home drunk and gently moving his neighbour's car), but strangely these are few and far between with director Ivan Passer preferring to focus more on how his characters have been wronged.

More infuriatingly, the film's storyline is never resolved especially to whether JJ Cord was the murderer. Without this revelation it is difficult to place Cutter and Bone into the correct hero or villain category - whether they are chasing a personal vendetta or actually doing some fantastic detective work.

Ambiguous, confusing and difficult to place, but with some scenes of interest.

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