Catching Milat

A true crime drama which delivers what the viewer needs to know without delving too much into the horrors of the story.

It reminded me of a drama from a few years ago about the Yorkshire Ripper and the police work around that.

Excellent menacing performance from Malcolm Kennard, and David Field is good, as always.

Very absorbing four part drama.

A fascinating and horrific tale that's underwritten and vague. While some actual quotes make their way in to the script, too much of what happened is glossed over. For a 3 hour+ miniseries, so much more could've been included. Most of the cast aquits itself quite well. Kennard is very good as the title character and Field is near-flawless as always. However, top-billed (?!) Cawthorne is difficult to watch; his expression never changes, even when he's shouting or upset and should show some sort of emotion. Watch Crime Investigation Australia (2005) and/or Wolf Creek (2005) instead.

Here's one show that didn't build up to the expectations, that I hoped for, especially with part one. The second part was much better, where the story now moves along. Kennard's chilling performance will stay etched in your mind for a while to come, it's hard to believe this was that rebel punk in that 1991 movie Secrets, while also being a heart throb earlier in E street. Ivan Milat was a despicable serial killer who murdered 7 teenagers over a course of a few years. Of course, not all the show is fact, but that's expected. What I expected was much more screen time into Ivan's background, and his family, Carole Skinner as Ivan's mum, you hardly see. What this show's decided to do, instead, is really work it from the cop's angle, where trying to convict this guy, and get solid evidence on him, was a bastard, where a lot of man hours, went into it. Richard Cawthorne, who joins the squad, while taking a lot of flack, from the senior "hard as nails" detective (the great impressive Morell) seems to be the only one, entirely convinced, Milat's their guy, where a few others, come around to that hypothesis, the least of all, Morell, who likes to do things by the book. I really liked Cawthorne, and his character, where I must say, the whole cast delivers. They're great, and that includes the ones, playing the grieving parents of the late victims. But there's no getting over Kennard's ferocious and "grab by the horn's" performances, a score of accolades must sure follow. To give the show a little more realism, we have some small footage, some of in the after of Milat's arrest. I can't help but feel a little of disappointed with this one. I expected a little more, but got a little less, mainly from the first one, where the second, really pulls it's socks up. Having to resort to seeing it from the cop's side, is quite engrossing, as seeing how what they went through to nail this bastard, finally succeeding on that May 22 day in 94, where too, after his incarceration, it still became a battle to ensure his imprisonment, where we fast forward to that 96 day, court case, where justice was served.

Feels like there is a lot more story to tell. Or it should have been 2 hours max.

Catching Milat is an Australian two-part miniseries which follows the true story of how New South Wales police tracked down serial killer Ivan Milat, who was responsible for the infamous backpacker murders in the early 1990's. Based on the book "Sins of the Brother: The Definitive Story of Ivan Milat and the Backpacker Murders" by Mark Whittaker and Les Kennedy, the show is filled with plenty of tension and suspense, and made all the more horrifying because it really happened. You see just how lengthy a process it was to catch him and the emotions of those involved.

Directed by Peter Andrikidis, who has shown great diversity through his many directing projects, has once again done an excellent job.

Malcom Kennard as Ivan Milat is simply chilling. He is superb in portraying this deceptive character. On the one hand the seemingly normal guy who everybody likes and on the other hand a ruthless psychopathic killer.

Geoff Morrell, Richard Cawthorne and David Field all have a strong screen presence. The rest of the supporting cast are all fantastic.

The score by award-winning composer Michael Yezerski really adds an extra element of unease.

Even though there were changes made for the series, from the book, I applaud the cast and crew of Catching Milat for bringing this drama to the small screen. It is one of the best Australian miniseries I've seen in quite a while.