American Crime
Written by Jack Moore & Jeff Ritchie
Directed by Dan Mintz
Jesse St. Clair...Rachael Leigh Cook
Albert Bodine...Cary Elwes
Rob...Kip Pardue
Jane...Annabella Sciorra
Beautiful up-and-coming television journalist Jesse St. Clair stumbles into the story of a lifetime while covering the disappearance of a local stripper. Amongst the stripper's possessions, she finds an unlabeled video tape which shows someone stalking--and then murdering--another woman. More corpses and more video tapes, and Jesse discovers that a serial killer is getting his kicks by murdering women on tape, then sending that tape to the next victim. Seems like one hell of a scoop...until Jessie receives a video tape herself.
An understandably freaked-out Jesse takes a leave of absence, mails her resignation to the station, and then never returns. Fearful of what may have happened to her, Jesse's producer Jane and cameraman Rob continue the intrepid investigation, forming an uneasy alliance with Albert Bodine, the arrogant host of the sensationalistic television show American Crime.
Technically speaking, it wasn't a bad film. The acting, the music, the script--they were all decent, if nothing special. However, the characters were flimsy, the action mundane, and the murders restrained and uninspired.Told in a rather strange combination of straight cinematography and mock-documentary/news story style, this thriller could have been a dark and fascinating glimpse into the mind of a psychotic--or, alternately, the mind of a psychotic's knowing next victim. Unfortunately, it fails to get inside anyone's head, opting instead for a by-the-book procedural with only a novel concept to separate itself from the pack.
Add to all of this an unsatisfying conclusion, and you've got yourself another movie whose MSRP should be "Netflix Instant Watch."
2004
Rated R
92 Minutes
Color
English
United States
--J/Metro
