Last Embrace (1979)

Overrated and overhyped

How sad is this?

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Why watch "Last Embrace" if everything in it is so obviously copied from Hitchcock? Why not watch a good Hitchcock classic instead? Well, for those who just long to see a more modern movie, "Last Embrace" might be a good compromis. Some folks just cant stand to watch the old movies anymore, because they look old and dont connect to the modern world anymore. The story and the acting in itself is rather good and full of great suspense. The movie is about a man who fears for his life. Somebody is out trying to kill him, but he doesnt know wny. He tries to decipher a mysterious letter that is sent to him, written in an unknown language, in the hope to find out who is trying to kill him.Sometimes the acting by the supporting actors is somewhat overdramatic, deliberatedly done to again copy the original Hitchcock style in which characters often performed with large gestures. Nowadays that is unheard of and it would look a bit silly, but it was one of those Hitchcock characteristics that was (badly) copied into "Last Embrace" as well.As a soundtrack fan I must admit that I disliked the use of a fake old soundtrack score (in MONO). The score in itself was beautiful, but it didnt blend well with this modern version of a hitchcock story. I dont mind remakes of good movies, but at least make them in a modern way. Now the deliberatedly old sounding, music score constantly clashes with the modern settings. But most people probably wont mind this at all, this is just a personal irritant of mine, because I like music so much in movies... To conclude: if you never have seen a Hitchcock movie and even if you dont know Roy Scheider either, "Last Embrace" is still a good suspense thriller. It has stood the test of time nicely. It could have been better, but I have watched it several times over the years and I still get thrilled by it.

The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, The Manchurian Candidate, Rachel Getting Married; all films by Jonathan Demme. While this film is not in the category of those listed, it shows the promise of a great director.Roy Scheider, who won Oscars for All That Jazz and The French Connection, and who is probably best know for his role as the sheriff in Jaws, plays a man who has become a target after his wife's murder. He certainly gives action lovers a film that will please.So, why is a Jewish fanatic running after Harry (Scheider)? And, why is a graduate student (Janet Margolin) living in his apartment when he returns home? Finally, is this a true homage to Hitchcock?

There are so many similarities between this relatively obscure thriller directed by Jonathan Demme and the works of either Alfred Hitchcock or Brian dePalma, that it's hard to know where to begin. Even the plot outline suggests a Hitchcock film with someone like James Stewart carrying the lead.But here it's ROY SCHEIDER, a very intense Scheider (even more so than in JAWS), because he never recovered from a nervous breakdown after his wife's sudden demise. And little does he know that he's a part of a plan of vengeance when he starts receiving threatening notes--nor does he know who to trust, and when. Naturally, in a story of this sort, we have to have a femme fatale and in this case it's JANET MARGOLIN as someone who tells him she wants to help solve his dilemma.There are some tricky camera shots, odd angled and always interesting, and Scheider really does carry the film with an extra intense portrayal of a hunted man who doesn't know who his enemies are.Add to this the somber score fashioned by none other than Miklos Rozsa (who did that wonderful SPELLBOUND score for Hitch), and you have all the elements of a first-rate crime story.Unfortunately, there are a couple of drawbacks. The tale is a bit too leisurely in building up to the suspenseful moments--and only Scheider and Margolin are seen to advantage. CHRISTOPHER WALKEN has what amounts to a cameo role and most of the other members of the cast are unfamiliar faces.But it is suspenseful in a calculated, contrived sort of way and does build to a terrific climax at Niagara Falls.

This is one of Janet Margolin's best performances and I am reminded of how I miss seeing her in films. She certainly plays a complex character here. Her metamorphosis in one scene in particular is dramatic. Reuniting her with John Glover was great too. Even though they shared no real scenes in Annie Hall, I remember them both in that and was pleased to see each in Last Embrace. Glover is still going strong. The plot of this Hitchcockian thriller is multidimensional and fresh. I think Demme ( not one of my favorites) did a great job and the famous finale at Niagara Falls is reminiscent of NIAGARA without really aping it. This is the film that made want to ride the Maid of the Mist. And the one I always remember when I miss Janet Margolin.