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The Last Run (7-Jul-1971)
Director: Richard Fleischer Writer: Alan Sharp Keywords: Action/Adventure
CAST REVIEWS Review by anonymous (posted on 19-Apr-2005) This is a movie I would love to see
come out on DVD or VHS, and am surprised after all these years it
hasn't. George C. Scott is the real reason to see this picture. An
intimate portrayal of retired mobster driver/runner Harry Garmes, and
certainly one of Scott's best performances. The other reason to see The
Last Run is the final and true love of his character's life, his
1957 BMW 503. They are a pair, and after 9 years of quiet retirement in
Portugal, (filmed on location in and around Malaga), Garmes is feeling
the old love of the chase surfacing again. Lonely, bored and
disappointed in the realities of retired life, he accepts an assignment
to pick up a young hit man sprung from prison, and transport him (and
unexpectedly his girlfried, too) across the border into Spain. Of
course, the prospect of one last run in the tradition of his former
profession excites Garmes, and his "hobbies" of tinkering with his
vintage supercharged sports car and gun become once again professional
realities for him. The chase scenes, especially between Garmes and his
'57 BMW and the hit men's Jaguar XJS, are superb, without the special
effects permeating films made since, and the whole movie somehow
conveys a "vintage" and authentic feel, from Garmes' leather flight
jacket to his supercharged old friend and partner. His sensitive acting
is a study in an empathetic yet unsympathetic portrayal of Garmes, and
George C. Scott fans will not be disappointed. The downside of the
picture is the at times ponderous and clumsy direction and also the
other characters, (excepting Colleen Dewhurst, who in a near cameo is
at her earthy and gritty best). The picture has an overtone of at times
depressing realism, and this might well have triumphed under skillful
direction. John Huston began the film from all accounts, and it's a
pity he didn't complete the picture. The pace drags at times, and there
are some truly awful and lame scenes, especially the incredibly
disappointing and mawkish ending, which Huston never would have
permitted. If it weren't for these, this could have been a great film.
But if you can overlook such and appreciate Scott, his vintage car, and
the chase scenes, it is a memorable movie. Will it ever be available in
DVD or VHS? Hope so! -RC Evans
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