Dans la peau du tueur

One thing I noticed about this movie almost immediately was the similarities between it and Silence of the Lambs. The theme of the detective going to one serial killer in order to penetrate the mind of another serial killer is present within both films, but after that the similarities begin to dissipate. Bruce Greenwood as Robert Keppel allows his character to have faults and use at least some of them to his advantage. Cary Elwes is almost unrecognizable in his nuanced performance as Ted Bundy.

For me, the direction left nothing to be desired. Although movies and novels about murderers and serial killers are a dime a dozen these days (check the blurbs on the back of the paperback novels in the 'book' section of your grocery store, if it has one) 'The Riverman' adds some unexpected details that added depth to the characters and their story. There are glimpses into the minds of Bundy and Keppel throughout the movie, and I was pleased to see how they compared and overlapped. The energy was not as frantic as some cop shows make the serial killer chase out to be, but there was still a sense of urgency and electricity underlying the interactions between Bundy, Keppel, and the young detective Dave Reichert who tries his best to do the job right. The control and fresh take on this piece take it above and beyond the rest of the TV movies I've seen, and there have been a lot of them.

Four and a half out of five.

I haven't read the book behind this, and I don't know too many details about Bundy or the Green River Killer case. I caught this on TV, and it looked interesting enough, so I watched it, more or less attentively. I haven't seen any footage of the real Bundy, but according to others, Cary Elwes does well in portraying him accurately... and I can attest to the fact that he manages to be quite creepy. I don't know that I would have thought he would be able to play a part like that, if nothing else, so convincingly. The acting in general isn't bad. I haven't seen anything else by the director, but he does fairly well. The film doesn't feel or look "TV", but rather like something produced for the silver screen. Editing and cinematography are good. They never get flashy or overdone, either. The pacing isn't bad, but the movie isn't particularly intense considering what it's about. The end comes somewhat abruptly. The movie could have been longer, and maybe it should have, because what's there is good, but it could have used more time spent on it. This is said to be the best acting job on Bundy thus far seen, so anyone looking for that might want to give this a look. A good enough TV-movie. I recommend this to those interested in the subject and fans of the actors and/or film-makers. 6/10

Subpar directing and writing limit good actors, interesting stories and complex characters.

Thats whats happened here. No much more to say about it.

Picture; Red Dragon, based on real events, but worse.

'The Riverman' tells the story of the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy (played here by Cary Elwes), on death row for his crimes. He reaches out to criminal profiler Bob Keppel (Bruce Greenwood) to tell him that he may have insight into the series of "Green River" killings that were plaguing Seattle. Sometimes working the case with a stressed-out detective (Sam Jaeger), Keppel sits down with Bundy for a series of interviews.

Stories like 'The Riverman' (based on a non-fiction book co-authored by Keppel) aren't for everybody, since they make us get to know sick minds better than most of us would really want to. But, on that level, it can be fascinating, as we learn from both Keppel and Bundy some ideas about those deviants walking among us: how they select victims, their ways of justifying their actions, etc. This being a made-for-TV movie, it refrains from showing much of the graphic violence that turns off some viewers. But, as directed by Bill Eagles, this solid film is a good case study in both pervasive atmosphere and subtlety. Characters like the real-life Keppel are now familiar to any viewer who's watched their fair share of yarns about serial killers: they become haunted individuals. Indeed, we get a sense of the toll that Keppels' line of work has taken on his home life.

The wonderful Kathleen Quinlan is typically great in support, even if she's obliged to play a kind of standard-issue "concerned spouse / partner" type of character. Jaeger is okay, but he's outshone by the more interesting Greenwood and especially the riveting Elwes, who's rarely been as good as he is here. The face-offs / conversations between Bundy and Keppel provide an effective foundation on which to build this picture. Also good in a supporting role is David Lawrence Brown; he plays the off-putting Gary Ridgway, the man who would be identified as the Green River killer decades later (thanks to improved forensic technology).

This is definitely the kind of movie that stays with you after it's over.

Filmed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Eight out of 10.

It's 1982 Washington State. A woman's body is pulled from the Green River. Dave Reichert (Sam Jaeger) from the King County sheriff's department seeks the help of Ted Bundy (Cary Elwes) expert Robert Keppel (Bruce Greenwood). Keppel was a new detective as the Bundy case unfolded and was part of the Bundy task force. Bundy contacts Keppel and the duo goes to Florida to visit him in prison.

This is part of the inspiration for The Silence of the Lambs. It's noticeable but it doesn't dwell on it. Bruce Greenwood holds this together. It's rather basic TV movie stylistically. Cary Elwes is a pretty looking killer. He has a different type of power. One wonders why a seemingly nice looking guy kills. He has a believable charm that can pull others in and that is his danger. I would love to had these two actors be directed by someone better in a cinematic theatrical release.