The Big Fix — The Big Fix( Blu Ray)

From the late 1970s, The Big Fix is an often quirky & eventful comedy thriller featuring Richard Dreyfuss, as 60's radical-turned-bumbling-if- well-meaning private eye. The films set in the world of political campaigning, with Dreyfuss character been approached by an old flame, who needs his help to investigate a smear- with things rapidly moving from fond reminiscing, to the dangerous and even deadly. On Powerhouse here we have a Blu Ray of this playful and unpredictable film- with the disc featuring a new remastered print, and some neat extras.

Appearing in the year 1978 The Big Fix was based on Roger L. Simon 1973 cult novel of the same name, which was the first of three novels he penned focusing on the radical-turned PI Moses Wine character. The film was directed New York state born Jeremy Kagan (Heroes, The Chosen, The Sting II )- who has only six feature-length credits, though an impressive forty plus TV credits to his name. And it’s fair to say, at points The Big Fix, does play a little bit like an extended episode of quirky US TV PI show- though it’s saved from feeling too TV movie due to the good/well-placed cast, and eventful shifts between light comedy, romantic drama, and mystery/action.
 
The film opens with Moses Wine( Dreyfuss)- sat on the steps of a bridge, overlooking a processing factory with his two young sons counting how many chickens are been sent into the factory. The cops turn up, and he shambles down the steps to his car- he has a plaster cast on one arm, and when the cop search his car they find his PI registered gun with a crayon in its barrel. As we move on we find out he’s devoiced from his wife, struggling to pay alimony, and gambling debuts with the few dull often corporate-focused cases he works on. One night, while sat in his shed like apartment-come office, smoking a small makeshift bong, playing solitary Cluedo, and watching the game- there’s a knock on his door, and it’s Lila(Susan Anspach) an old flame from his radical college days- she is now working for a local politician, who is involved in the smear campaign- and she wants his help to find out who is behind it. Along the way, Dreyfuss gets pulled back to his past, falls in love a new, goes through a major shake-up, with the case unfolding with a grown sense of danger and escalating intrigue.
 
Joining Dreyfuss in the cast we have John Lithgow- as one of the key figures behind the election campaign, Bonnie Bedelia as Dreyfuss ex-wife- each is good/ well placed, as are the surrounding supporting cast. But as expected Dreyfuss is the key/ main focus here- and as always he’s a likeable/ relatable screen presence- with his character going through an interesting character arch, moving from been well meaning-if-bumbling and coasting along, to been loved-up and playful, to empowered and get his mojo well and truly back. He as always shows a great range of emotion/depth in his acting, making it easy to see why he was often cast as a leading man in the ’70s/’80s.
 
I’d say you’ll need to go into The Big Fix, not expecting your run of the mill Gumshoe/ PI thriller- as it’s fairly unpredictable/ at points unconventional take on the genre. Moving initially between light comedy-drama and romantic tinged investigating; then around the mid-point suddenly shifting in tone for more emotionally fraught and action-tinged / tenser side of things, though there are still whimsical playful traces left in the second half. The Big Fix runtime hits close to the two-hour mark, and normally for this type of thing it would be way too long- but the film remains eventful and entertaining. Some of the more specific/ in-depth 60’s radical related banter was somewhat lost on me, but on the whole, The Big Fix is a worthy and interesting film.
 
Moving onto this Blu Ray and it's a region B locked disc. The newly remastered scan looks nice, crisp and clean- though still retains some of the 70’s warmth. On the extras front, we get a commentary from David Jenkins- who is the editor of Little White Lies – this is certainly well researched, with some interesting observations/ facts. He moves from talking about the soundtrack by Bill Conti (Rocky, The Karate Kid, For Your Eyes Only), moving onto talk about connections to other films, on-screen action, the films political leanings- and how it knocks both the right and the left. He moves onto actor’s bios, discuss the film's themes, its switch in tone, and more. On the whole, Jenkins’s delivery of the track is a little dry and monotone, with long gaps between comments- there is certainly worth/ interest here, it’s just a little trying to listen to in places. Next, we get The Big Self- this is a  twenty-three-minute on-screen interview with director Jeremy Paul Kagan, and there’s The Crime in Mind – an eight-minute onscreen novelist/screenwriter Roger L Simon, as he talks about the origins of The Big Fix and the process of translating his novel to the big screen. Moving onto the archive extras- we get a selection of TV interviews from 1978 with Dreyfuss(five minutes), director Jeremy Paul Kagan, writer Roger L Simon and producer (seven mins). As well as trailers, image/promotional material.
 

In finishing The Big Fix is another distinctive/ original genre film from the folks over at Powerhouse- with a good selection of extras, new and old. Certainly, a film for those who enjoy more quirky/ unpredictable thrillers.