Blue Caprice has some notable and powerful scenes. Obviously the scenes with victims being shot is hard to watch, will turn your stomach and are very well shot. The film avoids being exploitative and yet at times you'll wonder if the film makers are trying to excuse and demonstrate why these men (especially the young boy) ended up doing what they did. Then again I struggled to really understand the point of Blue Caprice and why it was made at all. I don't know how I would have changed the film because its not that I wanted to see them commit the violence and yet I think the subsequent investigation and the desperate plight of law enforcement to stop these two would have made a more captivating film then watching a man and an impressionable boy, both of whom are clearly deranged. I just struggled to figure out what the film makers were trying to do with the story, the characters etc. I didn't find any of it overly interesting the pacing was excruciating at times. The performances of everyone in the film weren't strong enough to carry the movie or make it riveting. It needed better editing, a stronger cast, and a completely different screenplay to be effective. Unfortunately what we are left with is a bit of a let down.
Isaiah Washington has struggled to find his place since leaving Grey's Anatomy. I've never seen him as a leading actor and I don't find him particularly good in any role so this was simply too big for him to take on. He isn't believable or even interesting trying to play this supposedly charismatic sociopath. We don't understand him, and we don't even understand his motives and he really drops the ball and gives a rather ho-hum performance unfortunately. His young counterpart who becomes enamoured with this father figure is played by Tequan Richmond. Richmond tries very hard and he's trying to capture this quiet loner who has had a rough childhood but he takes it too far and too much obscure because he seems boring and just not what the role could have been. A supporting cast is basically wasted between Joey Lauren Adams (I'm still trying to figure out why they even had her in the film) and Tim Blake Nelson who is a good actor but completely underused in this particular cast.
I understand this is a hard story to tell and capture. That doesn't mean it couldn't have been done properly. Why would you get a director with little experience (this in fact Alexandre Moors first feature length film) and then a cast that is Sunday Night movie quality at best. It just seems this idea should have been brilliant and has Oscar quality idea all over it but a sincere lack of experience and quality makes this one an unfortunate dud. You really watch the film and feel the build up and you're waiting for something significant and powerful to happen and while the crime itself is of course shocking, the film ultimately lets you down and leaves you feeling empty. There are too many high quality "based on true story" films out there to give this time. 5.5/10
Isaiah Washington has struggled to find his place since leaving Grey's Anatomy. I've never seen him as a leading actor and I don't find him particularly good in any role so this was simply too big for him to take on. He isn't believable or even interesting trying to play this supposedly charismatic sociopath. We don't understand him, and we don't even understand his motives and he really drops the ball and gives a rather ho-hum performance unfortunately. His young counterpart who becomes enamoured with this father figure is played by Tequan Richmond. Richmond tries very hard and he's trying to capture this quiet loner who has had a rough childhood but he takes it too far and too much obscure because he seems boring and just not what the role could have been. A supporting cast is basically wasted between Joey Lauren Adams (I'm still trying to figure out why they even had her in the film) and Tim Blake Nelson who is a good actor but completely underused in this particular cast.
I understand this is a hard story to tell and capture. That doesn't mean it couldn't have been done properly. Why would you get a director with little experience (this in fact Alexandre Moors first feature length film) and then a cast that is Sunday Night movie quality at best. It just seems this idea should have been brilliant and has Oscar quality idea all over it but a sincere lack of experience and quality makes this one an unfortunate dud. You really watch the film and feel the build up and you're waiting for something significant and powerful to happen and while the crime itself is of course shocking, the film ultimately lets you down and leaves you feeling empty. There are too many high quality "based on true story" films out there to give this time. 5.5/10