Scorsese, Hitchcock? Not even close.

Rating: 6/10 (2 June 2007)

The film was touted as comparable with Scorsese, even Hitchcock! Sorry, but it didn't even come close. The director was at his best with the gruesome murder scenes which were certainly chilling, but as for how the long term "cold case" was dealt with, it was at times only marginally above television standard, and I marvelled at how the various parties in the film maintained their interest when I was losing mine. There were also annoying Hollywoodisms throughout, for example the unlikely manner in which the resignation of one of the investigating cops from the homicide squad was announced to his buddy, which was timed for screenplay drama, not for realism. The characters were packaged and there was a high level of predictability in their development and behaviour.
There was little intellectual or spiritual fodder in this film. However it wasn't terrible, hence the 60%.