Wednesday, December 4, 2013

FILM -- Profile Of A Killer

Producer Jasmine Reid sent me the screener to the film Profile of A Killer, which was written and directed by Caspian Tredwell-Owen. The film begins with two kids, playing on a wintery, snow filled day in Minnesota before one of the kids finds a skeleton head on top of the snow.  I kind of thought that was funny when I saw the skeleton head...does that make me weird? It was a very intense moment but I found it funny! Sorry! Anyway...right after this discovery, it becomes a full investigation by the local police. Across U.S. Highway 61, they find similar skeletons. Due to these findings, it's out of the local police jurisdiction, forcing the investigation into the FBI's hands.

Saul Aitken (Gabriele Angieri) is a retired FBI agent who has an extensive background in serial killer profiling. Naturally, his name was the first to come up for this investigation. Saul is living in Florida and although he is a bit hesitant, he agrees to take on the case with help from FBI special agent Rachel Cade (Emily Frandenburg). From then on, it's pretty much a game between the killer and the FBI.

Profile of a Killer really surprised me in a good way. It's the classic tale of cat and mouse with the police and killer, yet it's told in a new way. I do admit, I thought the first 20 minutes of the film was going to be very typical. However, it gets a whole lot better and the film creating its own unique path into storytelling. Like most serial killer films, it's filled with unnecessary gore/blood, but Profile of a Killer is a different case. It is a dark, crime with plenty of suspense. One of the things I absolutely loved about the film was the quality of it. Yes, it is a independent film; however, the filming direction, story line, acting and solid camera work are very strong.





Gabriele Angieri who played Saul was my favorite in the film. When I usually see films with a profiler, they barely have any kind of personality. But I felt that Gabriele delivered plenty. While interacting with the killer, he was very neutral yet strong with that Fatherly persona. It honestly did seem like he was trying to connect with the killer. I've done some research and found out that this film was Gabriele's (Saul Aitken) first film. How awesome is that?! I'm completely surprised because he seemed very natural and like he's been in hundreds of films. When I first saw him, I thought he was Robert DeNiro. I'd love to see him in more films.

Rachel, played by Emily Frandenburg, was the FBI agent with a tragic past that helped her achieve a lot in her professional field. I thought that Emily did a great job as Rachel. At times, I thought that her acting was a bit over the top, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! I still enjoyed the job she did and the character she played. The killer, David (Joey Pollari), had such a unique approach to him. This character had so much complexity that I could definitely tell Joey pushed his limits to achieve this character. It was a success because it was believable!

Overall, the film is far from perfect, however I really enjoyed it! I did leave out plenty of things but that's because I'd like to avoid spoilers! I think if you love crime thrillers, you will definitely enjoy the grittiness of the film since it goes beyond the typical formula. It's unfortunate that not a lot of people know about this movie, but hopefully, more people will check it out!

4 out 5 queen skulls!

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