La rivière du crime

I have to admit I'm not a big fan of Ray Liotta's. I've seen him in a lot of films, but usually in a co-starring or secondary capacity, and usually as a psycho, but the trailer looked good (don't they always?) so I watched this one.

The River Murders is surprisingly good. Liotta does a decent job portraying an aging cop victimized by a serial killer for some unknown reason. His character is mostly believable (100 women? Really? And you remember all of their names?) as he looks into reasons why his past lovers are suddenly being killed off. Severely underused actors Christian Slater and Ving Rhames go along for the ride as an FBI agent who thinks Liotta's the one killing the women, and his boss, who suspends him pending further investigation.

Although you figure out early who the real killer is the movie keeps you guessing the reasons why until the end and, even though he's a little over the top religiously, is believable.

This isn't the greatest movie you'll ever see, and it does have it's flaws, but you won't walk away thinking you killed an hour and a half for nothing.

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.

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

I mean I wasn't expecting a blockbuster hit but this movie is just pitiful. To begin the movie wastes no time getting the ball rolling but the mood is far from suspenseful or thrilling. Each scene just kind of drags on to the next with a stale sense of predictability. The killer is so obviously revealed early on and lacks any real depth or originally outside of the lame stigma appointed to the character. The music doesn't help much as it sounds like the same continual track being repeated from the beginning to the end of the movie. The pace is lackluster, uneventful and plays out mediocre at best. Overall this movie suffers from a weak run of the mill script that fails to draw in the audience to the point where you don't care to finish the movie. Sorry to say but this movie is truly boring.

Okay, there's been a plethora of serial murder type movies in the last 20 years. Is this just another one ? Probably. It's not exactly ground breaking but it is fast paced and keeps you guessing. It is unique in some ways because although it exposes the killer fairly early on it conceals their motive until late in the movie. I've always considered Ray Liotta a 'B Grade' actor, guilty far too often of merely reading his lines and showing fake emotion. Whilst there are times when he's guilty of these shortcomings again in this movie, his performance for most part is solid and convincing. The support cast is equally strong and the underrated Christian Slater also shines but is sadly lacking in screen time. A haunting soundtrack and tight dialogue makes for enjoyable movie if the genre is your thing. Recommended viewing 8/10