STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs
A re-enactment of the comparatively recent real life District Capital shootings,that held the communities of Virginia and Maryland in a state of terrified frenzy for four weeks towards the end of 2002.As all the chaos envelops around him,Police Chief Charles Moose (Charles S Dutton) does his best to restore normality as much as possible and to get to the bottom of who is behind the killings.
As one or two other reviewers have stated and as I did mention at the beginning of my plot summary,this was a rather recent event and the producers of this film very quickly slapped it together.A little too quickly slapped together,perhaps,I think I'll agree and perhaps it would have been wiser for said producers to have let the dust settle a little first (well,at least let the TRIAL happen!) before going ahead and making it.To be honest,the very fact that a film based on such a major event is a TV movie,and as such,with the budget and production values of a TV movie in the first place shows how hasty to jump the gun they were.If greater patience had been shown,this should have been a major Hollywood production,with better sets and a bigger name cast behind it.
As it is,though,with it's cheap looking production and almost entirely unknown cast,D.C. Sniper:23 Days of Fear has attained an eerie,tense feel to it,with it's use of location and use of imagery and symbolism,as well as fairly moving performances from all it's central cast members.The creeping and unfamiliar sense of fear and disbelief is very well captured,with the aid of a well composed soundtrack and a tight,well written script that seems to have gone to meticulous detail to capture the true essence of what went on.
Such sensitive subject matter was always going to court controversy and yes,I think I'll agree the movie does give off the overall impression of being rushed and cheap.But it's certainly a very enthralling and moving account that will have you hooked to the end.****
A re-enactment of the comparatively recent real life District Capital shootings,that held the communities of Virginia and Maryland in a state of terrified frenzy for four weeks towards the end of 2002.As all the chaos envelops around him,Police Chief Charles Moose (Charles S Dutton) does his best to restore normality as much as possible and to get to the bottom of who is behind the killings.
As one or two other reviewers have stated and as I did mention at the beginning of my plot summary,this was a rather recent event and the producers of this film very quickly slapped it together.A little too quickly slapped together,perhaps,I think I'll agree and perhaps it would have been wiser for said producers to have let the dust settle a little first (well,at least let the TRIAL happen!) before going ahead and making it.To be honest,the very fact that a film based on such a major event is a TV movie,and as such,with the budget and production values of a TV movie in the first place shows how hasty to jump the gun they were.If greater patience had been shown,this should have been a major Hollywood production,with better sets and a bigger name cast behind it.
As it is,though,with it's cheap looking production and almost entirely unknown cast,D.C. Sniper:23 Days of Fear has attained an eerie,tense feel to it,with it's use of location and use of imagery and symbolism,as well as fairly moving performances from all it's central cast members.The creeping and unfamiliar sense of fear and disbelief is very well captured,with the aid of a well composed soundtrack and a tight,well written script that seems to have gone to meticulous detail to capture the true essence of what went on.
Such sensitive subject matter was always going to court controversy and yes,I think I'll agree the movie does give off the overall impression of being rushed and cheap.But it's certainly a very enthralling and moving account that will have you hooked to the end.****