"Switchback" begins with a murder and a kidnapping. The next thing we know, an FBI agent, Frank LaCrosse (Dennis Quaid) arrives in Armarillo, Texas, looking for a serial killer. The MO of the murders there matches that of the killer he's been tracking for some time.
In a parallel storyline, a good ol' boy, Bob Goodall (Danny Glover) driving a wild Cadillac gives a ride to a young man, Lane Dixon (Jared Leto) with a mysterious past -- at one point, a man is choking in a coffee shop and Lane announces he's a doctor and gives the man a tracheotomy. But he won't discuss it with Goodall.
And in a third subplot, the town of Amarillo is preparing for a big election of sheriff, and the fight is between the current Sheriff Buck Olmstead (R. Lee Ermey) and police chief Jack McGinnis (William Fichtner). In the midst of their murder investigation, Olmstead learns that FBI agent Frank LaCrosse was removed from the case and is on probation with the FBI.
All these plots fit neatly together.
"Switchback" is an exciting film with sequences that will have you on the edge of your seat, particularly those on the train. In a funny way it reminded me of a less glossy version of a James Bond film, in that the stunts were wild, with characters hanging off of cliffs, dangling from trains, in horrible car accidents - it never lets up.
The plot is a little far-fetched and the ending predictable, although some elements are left open. But it has moments of real thrills and tension, with good performances by Glover, Quaid, and Jared Leto who always looks so drop dead gorgeous in movies. "Monk" star Ted Levine (Leland Stottlemeyer) plays a deputy, and if you look fast, you'll see Shield's Walt Goggins as one of the sheriff's men. Fortunately both have gone on to deserved success.
Recommended.
In a parallel storyline, a good ol' boy, Bob Goodall (Danny Glover) driving a wild Cadillac gives a ride to a young man, Lane Dixon (Jared Leto) with a mysterious past -- at one point, a man is choking in a coffee shop and Lane announces he's a doctor and gives the man a tracheotomy. But he won't discuss it with Goodall.
And in a third subplot, the town of Amarillo is preparing for a big election of sheriff, and the fight is between the current Sheriff Buck Olmstead (R. Lee Ermey) and police chief Jack McGinnis (William Fichtner). In the midst of their murder investigation, Olmstead learns that FBI agent Frank LaCrosse was removed from the case and is on probation with the FBI.
All these plots fit neatly together.
"Switchback" is an exciting film with sequences that will have you on the edge of your seat, particularly those on the train. In a funny way it reminded me of a less glossy version of a James Bond film, in that the stunts were wild, with characters hanging off of cliffs, dangling from trains, in horrible car accidents - it never lets up.
The plot is a little far-fetched and the ending predictable, although some elements are left open. But it has moments of real thrills and tension, with good performances by Glover, Quaid, and Jared Leto who always looks so drop dead gorgeous in movies. "Monk" star Ted Levine (Leland Stottlemeyer) plays a deputy, and if you look fast, you'll see Shield's Walt Goggins as one of the sheriff's men. Fortunately both have gone on to deserved success.
Recommended.