This works as a movie about as well as any made-for-TV pilot you are ever likely to see. The plot is complex, but never contrived. The dialog is authentic and the actions of all the supporting characters make sense. Robert Forster delivers a magnificently complex portrait of a detective who needs to detach himself emotionally from his work, but ultimately, is too stubborn a devotee to humanity to do so completely. Darrin McGavin's detective, Jose Ferrer's egocentric journalist, and Herbert Edelman's leg man all are splendidly developed and delivered in their own right. Anjanette Comer is another standout in an authentically wardrobe and thoroughly credible supporting cast. I highly recommend Banyon to all fans of the genre.