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      Last Embrace

      R 1979 1h 43m Mystery & Thriller List
      58% 24 Reviews Tomatometer 32% 500+ Ratings Audience Score Secret agent Harry Hannan (Roy Scheider) suffers a mental breakdown when a botched mission in Mexico results in the death of his wife. He is sent to a mental asylum, after which he eventually returns to work. But, once again, he begins to doubt his sanity when he receives a bizarre death threat written in Hebrew. Not knowing which of his colleagues wants to kill him, Hannan teams up with pretty young college student Ellie Fabian (Janet Margolin) to attempt to unravel the mystery. Read More Read Less
      Last Embrace

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      Critics Consensus

      Last Embrace benefits from a strong cast led by the ever-likable Roy Scheider, but its increasingly implausible story makes it difficult to hold on.

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      Critics Reviews

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      Bill Cosford Miami Herald Despite some solid performances, Last Embrace unravels quickly and sloppily. Sep 24, 2021 Full Review Desmond Ryan Philadelphia Inquirer By dividing its attention between characters who are really pulling it in opposite directions, "The Last Embrace" winds up in aimless circles. Sep 24, 2021 Full Review Joseph Gelmis Newsday The film looks terrific, ebbs and flows with sinuous grace, immerses the viewer in a delirious waking dream. Sep 24, 2021 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …an extremely kooky slice of occult melodrama… Rated: 3/5 Jul 30, 2022 Full Review John Marriott Radio Times Scheider displays a riveting mix of bleakness, determination and paranoia to convincingly play an agent being used for target practice. Rated: 4/5 Sep 24, 2021 Full Review Joe Baltake Scripps Howard News Service Caper buffs might discover the solution early on, but it's the getting there that provides the interest, and Demme keeps us preoccupied and diverted with a slew of "in" thriller references. Sep 24, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

      View All (21) audience reviews
      Grahame S challenges the suspension of disbelief but classic movie of the time with the required level of gratuitous nudity aand sexy scenes. Enjoyable and styled especially Scheiders wardrobe which is never compromised regardless of the action Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Good direction, Roy Scheider is great but the story has plot holes. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review delysid d pretty dumb story, but it entertained me for one rainy day Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/07/22 Full Review laurie s It's a shane someone of Scheider's ability had to team up with a twat like Demme to star in this crap. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member An ambitious whodunit that loses steam half way through- due to both a heavy-handed plot and an almost abandonment of care for camerawork. It feels like Demme's wannabe-Hitchcock, but with hammy pulp-style acting. It's not bad though, it has some amusing moments and some really dynamic camera maneuvers in the beginning. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the few Jonathan Demme films I had not seen and it's a really good one. Distancing himself from his exploitation roots, Demme made this obvious Hitchcock homage that really delivers. Roy Scheider plays a mentally unstable CIA agent who receives a mysterious threatening letter,w which then serves as the McGuffin to move the story forward. There's also a superb supporting cast that includes Janet Margolin, John Glover, Charles Napier, Christopher Walken, Mandy Patinkin and ALF's dad, Max Wright, who no matter what film or TV show he's in, I always like to imagine that when he's offscreen that he's going home to that crazy ALF. Old Hollywood composer Miklós Rózsa provided the score and longtime Demme collaborator Tak Fujimoto did the photography. Casting was by Scott Rudin long before he became an Oscar award winning film produced of films like "No Country for Old Men" or "The Social Network." Outside of DePalma, this is probably one of the best Hitchcock homages, moving at a fast pace, with strong cast and some really good set pieces, particularly the climactic one taking place at Niagra Falls. Well worth watching. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Last Embrace

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Secret agent Harry Hannan (Roy Scheider) suffers a mental breakdown when a botched mission in Mexico results in the death of his wife. He is sent to a mental asylum, after which he eventually returns to work. But, once again, he begins to doubt his sanity when he receives a bizarre death threat written in Hebrew. Not knowing which of his colleagues wants to kill him, Hannan teams up with pretty young college student Ellie Fabian (Janet Margolin) to attempt to unravel the mystery.
      Director
      Jonathan Demme
      Screenwriter
      Murray Teigh Bloom
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (DVD)
      Oct 31, 2014
      Runtime
      1h 43m