Dead Silence

The film started off pretty ordinary with the hijacking of a bus full of deaf students and their teacher. But as it progresses it turns into quite an enjoyable and dramatic thriller.

I have not read the book this film is based on but from what I saw I would say the film is above the average for a "made for TV" movie.

Only one complaint here and that was why they felt the need to throw in swear words every few minutes just to make the film feel somewhat contemporary. At least that's the impression I got. From my POV it felt like they had just thrown in one two many of those special magic words and this ruined part of the enjoyment of this film for me.

Having said all this I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who likes drama/thriller kind of movies. On the whole it's not a bad experience at all. Plus you have classic actors like James Garner and Marlee Matlin, what more could you want?

6/10

Exciting film dealing with a hostage rescue unit of the FBI. They must try to talk a deranged convict and his buddies out of killing a group of young kids held in an abandoned slaughter house. Things go about as expected until the last 20 minutes when a surprise is thrown in which spices up an otherwise routine suspense picture.

I have always been a huge fan of James Garner. His movie work at times has been as good as his "Rockford Files" TV show, and this is one of the best examples. I was not familiar with the novel by Deaver on which it is based, but I will say that the story does not disappoint. The actors are all excellent, and there is a good deal of suspense. I disagree with some other reviews here on Garner's performance, as I bought the DVD largely because of his role. Another good movie he did near the same time was "Fire In The Sky", which fans should also check out. This movie was filmed in Canada, near where I live, and you can somehow always tell a Canadian production just by the look. Perhaps the portrayal of America never feels quite genuine.

Pretty good Matlock'ish movie. James Garner is a missed gem. Awesome to also see Scott Speedman in a very early role prior to Underworld. Nice twist at the end!

If you're a fan of Jeffery Deaver novels then you will have read 'A Maiden's Grave'.

And you will not be dissappointed by this screen interpretation of the novel.

It sticks closely to the plot.

The screenplay is crisp and clear and the characters well portrayed.

A group of deaf students and their teacher have their bus highjacked by three escaped criminals and they are then held hostage in an old slaughterhouse.

The duel between the seasoned hostage negotiator (played by James Garner) and the hostage takers is superbly crafted.

There is an added twist at the end.

If you've read the book you will love every minute, if you haven't then you will still enjoy an excellent thriller.

Well done.