The River Murders

THE RIVER MURDERS amazed me. I came across this title quite by chance when I was researching Ray Liotta in IDENTITY. Fascinated by his work this movie seems quite tempting and the title had a certain element of eerie chill into it. Although it is a hunt for a serial killer who is on the move, THE RIVER MURDERS brings in a biblical connotation to its plot. Although the biblical implication is not well conveyed through the climax of the thriller, the social impact that drives a sane man into being a serial killer as John Lee (Michael Rodrick) is an appropriate theme that needs discussion. Although I entirely disagree with how the movie end. Why? The answer is quite a simple one. An incident of the past drives a child into a certain psychological state that manifests into a greater issue with maturity. This child who becomes a serial killer is then later the criminal. Why is it that those who did the wrong deed at first are not being questioned? Should they not be equally responsible for the outcome of their actions? There is quite a significant depth to the theme discussed in this production, however it is poorly executed. In terms of potential it's exuberant; in terms of execution and presentation it lacks certain finesse.

This movie is clearly not for those who buy there movie tickets by looking at the celebrities on the poster or for those who search for a teaser trailer that has cost as much as the entire production itself. If you have enjoyed the following movies, I am certain you will appreciate this. TRUST, THE WAY BACK, SCHINDLERS LIST, THE WORLDS FASTEST Indian are a few movies right from the tip of my tongue. If you have watched and noted any of the following titles it is most certain, that this production is a good choice on a slow weekend.

One may question why I have not mentioned what this heated theme is, the answer is simple, the theme on its own creates the thriller and the suspense, hence for the benefit of those who will show interest in the movie it will not be discussed.

Detective Jack is a suspect in a murder, since he has a history of sexual relations with the victim. Detective Jack who is married for the past8-9 years is requested by Captain Langley to surrender his badge and gun until his name has been cleared by the authorities. Meanwhile Agent Vuckovitch of the FBI who is trailing the serial killer comes into town in pursuit only to find out that every single victim seem to have had sexual relations with Detective Jack during some point of their lives. What the authorities are unable to find out is if all this is coincidental or if all this is a well-crafted killing spree targeting all ex companions of Detective Jack? If it is a well-crafted killing spree would it put Detective Jacks wife Ana in danger? How will a detective who is suspended off the force pending clearance for the murders protect his wife? Will he be reinstated in time? Will the arrogance of the FBI result in the death of Ana?

Title: The River Murders Directed by: Rich Cowan Starring: Ray Liotta, Christian Slater, Ving Rhames , Gisele Fraga, Sarah Ann Schultz& Michael Rodrick Rated: R Rating: 06/10

This is the kind of low budget movie offering a mix of seasoned actors, who do a great job with the material and their screen time, and not so seasoned ones who fill in the blanks.

Liotta is top notch and Slater is his usual enjoyable self.

Michael Rodrick has got game and Sarah Ann Schultz creates a very hot detective.

With a handful of surprising twists and few glaring errors, it managed to tell a really interesting story by avoiding the usual pitfalls of guns and sexploitation.

This had the look and feeling of those B-movies of the eighties where you could sit in front of the picture and be just captivated by the storytelling and the performance of thespians who don't need big bucks for them to show they can act.

A good effort.

As for the whiners? Well, 2 species have sprung on IMDb in the last few years: those who like nothing and those who hate everything.

As for the rest: you'll probably enjoy the surprises as well as I did.

I love Ray Liotta (Goodfellas...). There is something about his eyes and his interpretation of text that plants him in the garden of good actors. Ving Rhames and Christian Slater are not slouches; they both have a body of work that they can be proud of.

The film has shortcomings but I want to compliment the actors, crew, and artists involved. It's hard to hit the ball out of the park every time but they suited up and did the best they could.

What I see is a script that had quite a few voices that had to be placated in order for the film to be made. There are too many levels of intellect and articulation. Nobody edited the script. The script teeters uncomfortably between genres; the director creates a new sub-genre of pornography at times and then the contextual shots want to make the film artsy. Crime-Porn? I guess.

The script isn't even really that insufferable. The problem is with he pacing, the camera work, the editing, and the dumbing down of EVERY element--! Nobody looks good...and if no one looks good what's the point?

Ray Liotta and Christian Slater are names, for whom you would say they are A class actors. So they are, however they cannot save poor scenario and a poor movie. Furthermore, such a movie does not bring them some good reputation and in future I will apparently have to avoid movies in which they will be acting. An hour and a half of your life spent to watch this movie is a period, which you will never get back. It is a poor TV-like movie with unrealistic scenario. (well, at least for majority of us normal, ordinary people, family guys). Very poor developed characters. Christian Slater role is marginal, not developed, his role could have been played by any guy from the street who never acted before. Just forget it ... grab a book or go for a walk ...

I was kinda looking forward to this movie having seen some of the media pictures and after watching 15mins of it, I was ready to take a nap. Ray Liota has never really been the 'up-front' guy that you expect to see in a movie like this and he does nothing to change the outlook in this movie either. Often seen walking around with his pot-belly sticking out and frequently mouthing a bunch of 'cliched' sentences, his character is so different from the portrayed 'guy who has slept with hundred's of women and even old flames can't keep there hands off' type of guy that the weak script calls for. The story is weak to the point of being funny. Its like the script for this has been made up from scenes and lines from some of the (much) better offerings in this genre. All of the characters are way too predictable and offer nothing that hasn't already been done to death. I even found the soundtrack also very annoying and repetitive. I'm no real film buff nor a real movie critic but this movie really owes everything it makes from the promotion. Unfortunately, if you pay to see this you'll come out of the movie theater feeling ripped off.