The Silent Partner

Tarting up a flagging project has rarely been taken quite so literally as here, with the climactic revelation that the misogynistic, sadistic villain (Plummer) has a predilection for drag. If it weren't for the gimmicks (and the sadism is so gratuitous it could be nothing else), then the film could easily pass for a minor caper thriller of the '60s, all convoluted plot and calculated kookiness. But cyphers (both female leads) and question-marks (who'll get the money, who'll survive - who cares?) dominate the script as every labyrinthine twist becomes more plodding.