Switchback - Gnadenlose Flucht

Wow, this is an intense story that should keep you interested for the full two hours. The five main roles are all men and they are pretty interesting, led by Danny Glover's character, who is very, very creepy.

I'm hesitant to say much about this film for fear of giving anything away for those who have not seen it. Suffice to say its a rough movie in regards to language, violence and general attitude but the story grabs you quickly and is tough to put down once you are into it.

One complaint I read said this film never made it big because it was too convoluted a storyline. In fact, the story isn't really pieced together until the last few minutes. Well, a lot of films over the years were like that (Charlie Chan and Sherlock Holmes mysteries, just to name two) and no one complained.

The fact that FBI agent Dennis Quaid would figure things out to the exact minute does stretch credibility so don't look for a film that makes a lot of sense: it's simply a very tense thriller that entertains, so it serves its purpose.

Lee Ermey, the fanatical drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket, also is fun to watch in here. Jared Leto and Ted Levine also contribute nicely. It's a man's film, for the most part and an effective diversion for two hours.

I saw this film for the first time on late night television after returning from the cinema where I saw the disappointing 'Along Came a Spider'. There are similarities, but Switchback is by far the better film. Jeb Stuart has done a terrific job keeping us at the edge of the couch and there are very few cliches around. Danny Glover and the entire cast are just right, and all the characters, even the minor roles, are three-dimensional. The story centres on a young handsome hitchhiker picked up and befriended by the serial killer. But this is no ordinary serial killer -- he is Mr. Popularity along the mountain roads where they travel in buddy movie-fashion. But not for long. The killer isn't out to make new friends. What he is doing is cleverly framing the loner-hitchhiker (finger prints on murder weapon etc) so that the law will be searching for the hitchhiker, and not the real killer. That is the killer's modus operandi. So here we have this handsome hitchhiker with a mysterious past (a doctor who ran away) and a killer with a bloody past who is on the run. Enter an FBI agent (Dennis Quaid) who is wanted by the FBI. The FBI want Quaid off the case. But Quaid is a determined man: the serial killer, who he has tracked for 18 months, has kidnapped his son....All of these outsiders come through a small town where the local sheriff loses the election by opting to help the truant FBI agent find the real killer... Three quarters of the way through the film, everyone is chasing someone and the tension keeps mounting along with the altitude.

The killer has left a note with a cryptic clue that Dennis Quaid must decipher. But the key to his son's whereabouts lies elsewhere.....

This is a fresh breath of writing into a genre that has been abused and neglected of late. There are nice echos of our favourite films noir (...the hitchhiker, the loner, the car accident.....the guessing came about who is who...). There's a touch of The Fugitive, but not too much. On top of all the good acting, casting, plotting and suspense, there's nice atmosphere and locations in the Rockies.

As a thriller, this had some holes. For starters, Stuart identifies the killer too early (at least, I figured it out), so some tension is robbed). The postcard thing never really made any sense to me. And though it's clear who the killer is, his identity raises questions about how Quaid's son is kept without the authorities knowing. But I can forgive a lot of that because we care about the characters. Quaid, Ermey, and Glover, are three of our finest character actors, and they make us interested in their characters. Also, Ted Levine offers fine support, and Jared Leto creates mystery in his role when there wasn't a whole lot written in.

Switchback was an enjoyable mystery/thriller with a few nice action sequences. Quaid's character seemed a bit cliche to me (like he was impersonating a dour Harrison Ford) but Glover's character was unique and interesting. This movie didn't have a lot of surprises or plot twists, but director Jeb Stuart managed to keep my interest high by using well drawn and likeable characters and by keeping a lot of balls in the air from the beginning of the movie. With the exception of the serial killer himself, the conflicting motivations of the characters played well with the story and provided plenty of tension. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of the serial killer himself. This is possibly the first movie I've seen where the killer had a human face and was not a psycho mastermind genius or a low-life loner with a chip the size of Manhattan on his shoulder.

Exciting thriller plenty of suspense and action , dealing with the kidnapping of a FBI agent's son and the desperate chase of the murderer who has him . As a F.B.I. agent named Frank LaCrosse (Dennis Quaid) goes home to encounter has been broken into and his son is missing . He is following the clues of a brutal serial killer whose massacre stretches nearly two years . Frank's relentless pursuit leads to Amarillo , Texas , where two more victims have been found slashed to death and the enigmatic series killer goes on his crime spree . As Frank join forces with the local Sheriff named Buck Olmstead (R. Lee Ermey) and his Deputy Nate Booker (Ted Levine) to search for his suspect , elusive killer , and all of whom investigate the murders before he disappears perhaps forever into the Rocky mountains . Meantime , a drifting previous medic named Lane Dixon (singer/actor Jared Leto) is picked up by an ex-railroad man , an African-American named Bob Goodall .

This is a thrilling film that contains intrigue , noisy action , suspense , chases and plot twists . The highlights result to be the train confrontation and the surprise ending . Interesting and thrilling screenplay by the same director Jeb Stuart who debuts in this enjoyable flick . Intriguing narrative is well developed , as we are interested on the events are we are really cared what happens to this people . According to an interview with Jeb Stuart in Premiere magazine, he had originally intended to make this movie back in the early 1980's under the title 'Going West in America', with Sidney Poitier, Robert Duvall, and Kevin Bacon in the three main roles . Magnificent acting by the protagonist trio as Dennis Quaid , Jared Leto and Danny Glover . Excellent support such as Ted Levine as Deputy Nate Booker , Leo Burmester as Clyde 'Shorty' Callahan , Walton Goggins as Bud , William Fichtner as Chief Jack McGinnis and special mention to Lee Ermey as Sheriff Buck Olmstead . Furthermore , a rousing and stirring original musical score by Basil Poledouris . Colorful and evocative Cinematography by Oliver Wood . The motion picture was well directed by Jeb Stuart in his film debut . Stuart is a prestigious screenwriter , he wrote successful films such as ¨The fugitive¨, Die Hard¨ , ¨Another 48 hours¨ , ¨Lock up¨ , ¨Fire down below 2¨ and ¨Just cause¨ . He only has directed two films ¨Switchback¨ and ¨Blood done sign my name¨ , both of them failed at box office ; however , ¨Switchback¨ is today pretty well considered . The picture will appeal to Dennis Quaid and Jared Leto fans .