Last Embrace

This thriller owes much of its technique to Alfred Hitchcock, though it is more an homage to the master than a rip-off. Scheider is a government agent recovering from a nervous breakdown that was brought on by his wife's murder and the loss of his job. As if things are not bad enough, he inadvertently becomes involved in a murder. The direction by Demme, who would go on to score big with MELVIN AND HOWARD (1980) and SOMETHING WILD (1986), is uneven at times but manages to maintain suspense. The performances are good, and the photography creates the proper mysterious atmosphere. The music is by Miklos Rozsa, who also scored Hitchcock's SPELLBOUND. Patinkin has a sma...